Scripture: Mark 6:30–32
“Come by yourselves to a secluded place and rest for a while.”
—Mark 6:31
There are seasons when faithfulness means continuing—showing up, doing the work, keeping the promises we have made, and trusting that God will give us the strength we need. But there are also seasons when faithfulness means stepping back, becoming quiet, and making room to listen again.
I believe I am entering one of those seasons.
For quite some time, writing these devotionals has been one of the ways I have tried to love God, love people, and encourage others to do the same. I am deeply grateful for everyone who has taken the time to read them. Some of you have written to tell me that a particular devotional arrived when you needed it. Others have shared them with friends or used them in your own times of prayer. Those words of encouragement have meant more to me than you probably realize.
But even good and meaningful work can fill so much of our attention that other things begin waiting quietly at the edges of our lives. Sometimes we become so focused on what we have been called to do that we no longer pause long enough to ask whether God may be calling us to do something different for a season.
In Mark 6, the disciples returned to Jesus after a period of demanding ministry. They had been teaching, healing, traveling, and attending to the needs of others. The work was important. The needs were real. The mission had come from Jesus himself.
Yet when they returned, Jesus did not immediately give them another assignment. He said, “Come by yourselves to a secluded place and rest for a while.”
That invitation matters. Jesus recognized something that we frequently forget: human beings cannot live indefinitely in a state of constant activity. There are times when we need to withdraw—not because the work is unimportant, not because we have stopped caring, and not because we are giving up, but because our souls need room to breathe.
Rest is not always the opposite of faithfulness. Sometimes rest is faithfulness.
So, I have decided to take a break from writing these devotionals until the beginning of Advent. I plan to return with a new devotional on Monday, November 30. During the next couple of months, I want to focus my attention on some other areas of my life and ministry. I also want to create more space to listen—to God, to the people around me, and to what may be stirring within my own heart.
I confess that taking a break is not entirely comfortable for me. Perhaps it is not comfortable for you, either. Many of us have learned to measure our days by what we accomplish. We feel responsible when we are producing something, helping someone, solving a problem, or checking another task off the list. When we become still, we may feel as though we should be doing something else.
But perhaps stillness is not empty time. Perhaps it is sacred space.
A field lying fallow may appear unproductive, but beneath the surface the soil is being restored. A musician does not create music only through the notes; the rests also belong to the composition. Even the earth has its seasons of growth, harvest, release, and waiting. God works through all of them.
As I take this pause, I invite you to consider whether God may be asking you to make room for one as well. That does not necessarily mean stepping away from everything for two months. Your pause may be much smaller. It might mean protecting one quiet evening each week, setting aside your phone for part of the day, saying no to one unnecessary obligation, returning to a neglected relationship, taking a walk without listening to anything, or sitting silently before God without trying to produce the right words.
What has been consuming your attention? What has been waiting at the edges of your life? Where might weariness be trying to tell you something your busyness has prevented you from hearing?
We do not have to wait until we are exhausted before we rest. We do not have to collapse before we become still. Jesus’ invitation is not merely for those who can no longer continue. It is for disciples who are learning to receive their lives as a gift rather than treating them as an endless assignment.
There will always be more work to do. There will always be another need, another opportunity, another worthy task. But the world is held together by God’s faithfulness, not ours. We are participants in God’s work; we are not responsible for carrying it all.
For now, I am going to accept Jesus’ invitation: “Come away…and rest for a while.” I hope these weeks will allow me to return with renewed attention, clearer perspective, and something worth sharing when Advent arrives.
Until then, thank you for reading. Thank you for walking with me. And perhaps, in whatever way is right for you, you might accept the invitation too.
Come away for a while. Become quiet. Let your soul catch up with your life. Trust that God remains at work—even while you rest.
Reflection and Application
Take a few moments to consider these questions:
- What part of my life feels especially crowded or hurried?
- Is there something good I need to set aside temporarily so I can give attention to something else?
- What might God want me to notice during a quieter season?
- What would a faithful pause look like for me?
Choose one simple practice of rest or attentiveness for the coming week. Keep it small enough to be realistic, but meaningful enough to create space for God.
Prayer
Gracious God,
you know how easily we fill our lives with activity,
even when the things we are doing are good.
Teach us to recognize your invitation
to come away and rest for a while.
Quiet the voices that tell us
our worth depends on what we accomplish.
Remind us that we are loved before we produce anything,
and that the world remains safely within your care.
Give us courage to release what needs to be released,
wisdom to attend to what has been neglected,
and patience to receive this season for what it is.
Meet us in the quiet.
Restore what has become weary.
Renew our attention.
And when the time comes to begin again,
lead us forward with greater clarity, freedom, and love.
In the name of Jesus,
who welcomes the weary and gives rest to our souls.
Song for Reflection
“Come and Find the Quiet Center”
Words by Shirley Erena Murray
This song invites us to step out of life’s noise and hurry so that we can recover the still center where God meets us, renews us, and helps us see our lives more clearly.
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