08/26/2025
For those of you who read my blog fairly consistently, you will notice a recurring theme focusing on the value of sabbath and slowing down. The reason I gravitate toward this theme is that my natural inclination is to gravitate toward just the opposite—busyness as a means of fulfillment.
I just returned from a quick trip to Colorado, where I met with pastors and church leaders. My flight got back into Indy late Saturday night, and bright and early the next morning, I was up to co-preach with my son, Will, in all three services (which was a pure delight). Then I jumped right into a Teaching Team Retreat on Monday, where we began shaping the 2026 sermon series. On top of that, we currently have house guests, along with the usual obligations, commitments, and upcoming travel filling our calendar well into September and October.
I recount this litany of labor not to extract sympathy—many carry far heavier loads. Rather, I share it as a confession because I need to remind myself what Laura told me last week, which I included in a recent blog post: “I feel like my schedule is controlling me rather than me controlling my schedule.”
One of the many downsides of overextending ourselves is that we under-extend our relationships. When we’re worn out, it’s hard to maintain connections. We’re simply too tired to extend the energy needed to sustain healthy relationships.
The UCLA Center on Everyday Lives of Families conducted a four-year study of 32 families. The families were observed and recorded on video for over 1,600 hours at various times and in different environments.
The researchers were struck by the hectic pace at which people live their lives. Even though these families often had highly structured schedules, they had very little time or emotional energy for each other. In only one of the 32 families did a father regularly spend time with his family. Five of the families were NEVER in the same room at one time (Idleman, When Your Way Isn’t Working, 84).
The conclusion? These busy families were living at such a hectic pace with such demanding schedules that they had very little time or energy for connection. Here’s the key takeaway: Busyness is the enemy of connection.
But there is a better way. There is a counter-cultural rhythm given to us as a gift that we can fully embrace. This is the Jesus way. I encourage you right now to take a deep breath, let it out slowly, and meditate on these words of Jesus:
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you.
Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart,
and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear,
and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30, NLT)
