Jesus was constantly being filled with the life of God the Father and therefore was always overflowing with the life of God to others. He had a rhythm in his life of time alone with his father followed by outward ministry with people. “If Jesus needed regular, dedicated time for quiet prayer…meditation on the Scriptures, and spiritual community then how much more do we!” (William Gaultiere)
Here is an excellent article (used by permission) that I encourage you to read on this subject.
Our modern, busy lifestyles can insidiously drag us away from God and his ways.
The spiritual rhythms we need for healthy living have been severely disrupted and we haven’t even noticed: ‘Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work, driving through traffic in a car you are still paying for, in order to get to the job that you need so you can pay for the clothes, car and the house that you leave empty all day in order to afford to live in it.’1 Our lives are fashioned more by the sales, by sports events or the demands of work than by our connection to the life, death and resurrection of Christ. Strawberries in winter, apples in summer, air-conditioning, central heating and artificial lighting all encourage us to ignore God’s rhythms.
Our 24/7 world demands more time and resources, convincing us that we can never slow down or take a break. Tragically, an increasing number of people are suffering from anxiety and depression, and the suicide rate is rising. The evidence suggests stress and pressures of overbooked schedules are major contributory factors to this growing problem.
Many of us know we are out of sync with God’s ways, his vision and priorities, but don’t know how to change. We have more tools than ever to steer our spiritual journeys but feel less in control. Spiritual practices, such as prayer and Bible study, seemingly add to our busyness, and are often the first thing jettisoned when we feel exhausted.
So, how do bring God’s values back from the periphery to the very centre of our over-stressed and chaotic lives without being overwhelmed by a new set of time commitments? I believe the key lies in looking back to the rhythms of Jesus’ life and creatively adapting them to the modern world. Continue Reading…
Our central task as Christians is not to maximize either our work or our play while minimizing the other, nor to merge our work with our play. Instead, Christians are created and called to consecrate both their work and their play. (Robert Johnston in The Christian at Play)
