I was on a Zoom call talking to a coworker. Her work was a mess; she was not keeping up, and it was impacting her customers and department. “Tell me what’s going on,” I said to her. She told me that she was trying her best, but she had no idea how to keep up with everything. Her kids are in high-commitment sports, she insists that her house must be spotless, and she listed several other things she had to take care of. It was a lot, and my heart broke for her!
I said, “You need to pick a sustainable pace. No one can keep up with all you are trying to do.” She said she had no idea how to do that. She felt hopeless.
This is a story I see playing out all around me as people try to curate the perfect life and crush their souls under the weight. While there are many practical things that can be done to streamline life and make things easier, true sustainability comes with a willingness to let go of the idea of a “perfect life.”
I don’t believe God intended for us to be stressed all the time. Jesus said He will give rest to the weary and heavy laden. We can learn of Him whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light 1. This paints such a different picture than what would describe the frantic pace our culture promotes.
“I am not asking you to do all this!” Jesus would probably say. “I am only asking you to be faithful today, and to trust Me for tomorrow. Come learn the unforced rhythms of grace.”
The pace Jesus is asking of us allows time for our souls to be renewed, and for Him to lead us to green pastures. If you are moving at a pace where you don’t feel like you have time to walk with Him through a green pasture, you are probably moving faster than the Shepherd, and maybe that’s why you haven’t found the still waters that refresh you 2.
God has been speaking this to my heart lately. I love pushing hard and feeling like I am checking all my boxes, but I’m running out of steam. It has become obvious to me that I cannot sustain “doing it all.”
I have been praying that I can stay in step with the Shepherd and linger where He is guiding me, trusting Him for the journey.