In a recent sermon, I gave some thought to the idea of the “rhythms of life.” That is, the ebbs and flows, the rest and work, the times we need to push through and the times we can step back.
There is a wonderful sense of rhythm in nature — the seasons have their rhythm, the day has it’s own rhythm with sunrise and sunset, the ocean has the rhythm of it’s tides. Even the Australian bush has a rhythm of bushfires and flood. So, it becomes obvious fairly quickly that God has ordained that nature has healthy rhythms of restoration and rejuvenation.
However, one of the effects of sin has been to empty life of its rhythms. Instead of letting the sun order our times of work, devices now mean we can work at any time. We are available at any time and anywhere because of mobile phones. When we should be at a time of rest, we are stimulated by the glow of a
device screen. When we should be working, we get drawn into sloth by games. We’re really just denying the very rhythms God ordained in nature.
Lest we think, however, that these rhythms are only implied from nature, God gives clear instruction about rhythms in Scripture:
- God rested on the 7th Day of Creation. God didn’t need to rest — He doesn’t get tired. He set that as an example for us — that we should take one day in seven as a Sabbath rest. Indeed, just to clarify the situation, Jesus says, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27). Even before sin entered the World, Sabbath rest was part of God’s design for people. So, we can surmise that a denial of regular Sabbath rest is actually a
product of sin. Is that too strong a conclusion? Show me from Scripture how I’m wrong. - God rested on the 7th Day of Creation. God didn’t need to rest — He doesn’t get tired. He set that as an example for us — that we should take one day in seven as a Sabbath rest. Indeed, just to clarify the situation, Jesus says, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27). Even before sin entered the World, Sabbath rest was part of God’s design for people. So, we can surmise that a denial of regular Sabbath rest is actually a product of sin. Is that too strong a conclusion? Show me from Scripture how I’m wrong.
- God commanded occasions of rest for the people of Israel, such as the Sabbath mentioned above (Exodus 20:8), feast days (Leviticus 23) and even a season
of rest for the land (Leviticus 25:4). God knows we need rest — even land needs rest (if it is over-worked it produces less). So, He commands rhythm for
our own good. - Jesus showed the value of rest in His own ministry. We see him taking time away from the crowds both with His disciples (Mark 6:31) and by Himself (John 4:6). Indeed, we are told that regular withdrawal and rest was His custom (Luke 22:39). So, here’s my question: If Jesus made intentional rest and rhythm
part of His life, why do we think we know better than Him when we don’t have intentional rhythms to our life?
Rhythm isn’t just about rest, though. Some people rest too much. And some think they’re busy but they are busy doing unimportant things. So many people are
too tired to extend themselves because they spend too much time on devices instead of actually just going to sleep.
We need to be intentional with our time. It’s about creating a rhythm that means we are making the best use of the time God has given us. It’s no wonder
that we use the phrase “spending our time” in the same way we “spend” money because, just like the money we spend, we’re not going to get it back.
Have a look at your diary for the last week and ask yourself this question, “Does my diary reflect my priorities?”
In other words, does your diary reflect your actual priorities or are you just running on autopilot. Do you factor in time for exercise, time with God? Do you allow for margin in your life or are you running wall-to-wall? Some of you are already saying, “I don’t need this guilt-trip? You don’t understand my life. I’m too busy for..”
Let me encourage you to not be a victim to the phrase, “I’m too busy for ….” When we use that phrase, we’re really saying, “That’s not a priority at the moment.” And that is a perfectly valid thing to say. There are times and occasions in our lives when we won’t do things we’d like to do simply because they’re not a priority. But, rather than putting it negatively and becoming a victim (“I’m too busy.”), let’s be empowered to take control of our diaries
(“That’s not a priority at the moment.”) It may even trigger us to stop and re-evaluate our priorities, something we should all do from time to time.
As leaders, as with all people, our time is just about our most valuable resource — it’s more valuable than money and stuff. And when we redeem our attitude to time and be empowered to create rhythms in our life, we become more productive and more fruitful for Christ.
I would imagine that the most time-poor leader on Earth would be the President of the United States. The demands on his schedule must be almost irreconcilable. So, I was impressed by an interview I heard with President Barack Obama. They asked him how we ordered his day. He said that the first things that get scheduled into his day are:
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His security briefing
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Exercise time
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Meeting His senior advisors regarding his administration’s big goals.
Those things are non-negotiable to him. It would take a national emergency for them to not happen. But, it’s precisely because he knows how to schedule in his priorities that he has personal capacity to deal with the unexpected things that come up.
Louie Giglio puts it this way, “Whenever you say yes to anything, there is less of you for something else. Make sure your yes is worth the less.”
How can you create healthy rhythms in your life and the life of your team?
Have a look at your diary for the last week and ask yourself this question, “Does my diary reflect my priorities?”
One of the key ways we can develop as leaders is to get better at making the most of our time.
“Everyone really does win when a leader gets better.” (Bill Hybels)
God said to the Israelites, “Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.” (Jeremiah 3:15)
Father, thank you for the gift of time and your command to create healthy rhythms in life. Thank you for the example of Jesus creating healthy rhythms. Help me to discern my own diary well and use my time to glorify you. Amen.