I was watching the cartoon movie Cars with my children the other day.  The movie begins with the main character Lightning McQueen in a race.  He is in the lead but ignores his pit crew’s advice to make a stop and change tires.  In the last lap his tires blow out costing him the first place spot he easily had.  The movie reminded me the story author Stephen Covey tells of a woodcutter who works himself to exhaustion while producing less and less lumber because he is too busy cutting wood to stop and sharpen his saw.  The movie also reminded me of my own tendency to focus more on working, producing, and doing things while ignoring my own need to take time for resting, praying, and listening — to “sharpen the saw”.

God has ordered his creation with a rhythm of alternating a day of work with a night of rest, periods of productivity followed by times of lying fallow.  This is most explicitly seen in God’s gift of the Sabbath – a day of rest and leisure after six days of labor.  This pattern is seen in the story of creation, the laws of the nation of Israel and in the example of Christ himself who reminded the Pharisees (who would have made the Sabbath another burdensome item on a to-do list of righteousness) that the “Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27)

I can notice the difference very quickly in my own life if I don’t take regular time for prayer, meditation, and study.  I learned very early in my ministry that the pastorate is an easy place to “fake it”.  Feigned devotion and religious cliches delivered with a “stained-glass” voice can cover a lack of thoughtful prayer and attentive listening to the scriptures for awhile, but eventually the well runs dry.  But this true for all Christians.  If we don’t set aside time regularly to rest in the Lord who restores our souls we can find our faith wearing thin.  If the busy-ness of our life pushes out time for prayer, for letting our “requests be made known to God” we find ourselves even more overwhelmed. And if our service in God’s name isn’t balanced with mediation on God’s Word even our Church life can become just another group of activities and commitments to fill up our already crowded calenders.

May I suggest a New Year’s resolution?  Resolve to do less.  Do less so that you can spend more time being aware of what God is doing.  Do less daily so that you can take a few moments to read the Bible and pray.  Do less weekly so that you can enjoy God’s gift of Sabbath rest.  Make time on a regular basis to go to a park, or to read, or to listen to an inspiring song.  Make time, as Jesus did to find a “desolate place” and pray there.