“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” Mark 6:31
Sometimes I think our generation is busier than any generation has ever been before. We always seem to be on the run to do something—and then something more.
Apparently Jesus and his disciples had that kind of busyness too. Our reading for today says they were so busy with so many people who were coming and going
that they “did not even have a chance to eat.”
Jesus knew that we can’t care well for our heart when we’re always on the move. He knew that our inner life will suffer if our outer life is too noisy and active. So he
told his disciples, “Let’s get away to a place that’s quiet, where we can get some rest.”
If we read the gospels carefully, we find that getting some rest was a regular pattern in the ministry of Christ. Sometimes early in the morning and sometimes late at night, he needed times of quiet for reflection, prayer, and communing with his Father in heaven.
Have you followed Jesus’ example in doing these things? Are you able to slow down enough to spend quiet time with him? Do you have a time where you can shut out all the noise, get in touch with the Lord, and think about the deep and important things of life?
The inner life grows and deepens best in that type of setting. Times of quiet and reflection with God are what Jesus meant by “rest” (see Matthew 11:28-29).
Lord, help me find a place today where I can be alone with you in quiet reflection and prayer. Help me to listen and respond to your love and leading. In your name, Amen.
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