Getting Unfrazzled

We often hear that we shouldn’t be part of this rush-rush society we live in. In fact, many doctors are telling us that the stress of constant busy-ness is downright unhealthy. But isn’t that the way the modern world works? Is there really anything we can do about it?

God had an idea we might run into this kind of thing. That's why he told us - no, commanded us - to take one day out of seven just to relax. It’s number four in the Ten Commandments: “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days a week are set apart for your daily duties and regular work, but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God.” (Exodus 20:8-10).

Personally, as somebody who works on Sunday, I define “Sabbath” as whatever rest day works for me – as long as I get one every seven days. And I define “work” as anything I have to do, and “rest” as anything I want to do that makes me feel relaxed, restored or rejuvenated.

I love the story of when Jesus was told that his friend Lazarus was on his death bed. Jesus didn't automatically rush back and heal him. Instead he asked God what to do about it. God told him to take his time. When Jesus did get back there (four days late by most people's estimation) the miracle was even bigger. And Jesus wasn't frazzled.

The other part of it is to be sure we don’t try to cram too much into the other six days. Some of us just need to learn to say “no.”

But then, what if we wind up with not enough to do? We sure don’t want to be bored. I find the middle ground is to not overbook appointments or things with deadlines, so I don't get frazzled, but always keep a project going so I have something to do if boredom threatens.

The big thing is that God knows how much you can do in 24 hours, including the necessary rest and personal care, and he doesn't expect you to do more than that. The key is differentiating between God’s expectations and people’s expectations – including our own.