Being vs. Doing

I awoke at 2:00 AM recently with two words on my mind, “being” and “doing.” Right away I knew they were directly from God. A simple, yet profound message I desperately needed to hear.

I love what Henry and Richard Blackaby say in their devotion, Experiencing God Day By Day:

“Jesus has a wonderful way of restoring us when we fail Him! He does not humiliate us. He does not criticize us. He does not ask us to make a resolution to try harder. Rather, He takes us aside and asks us to reaffirm our love for Him”

God doesn’t ask us to do more, — for ourselves or for Him. Instead, He gently speaks to us and loving asks us to spend more time in His presence, where He can teach us and lead us to a place of refreshment and renewal.

I believe that’s exactly why I was awakened in the middle of the night. Without a doubt, I recognized God’s voice — I’d heard it before. He knew I was overwhelmed, stressed out, and way too busy. He knew the best time to get my attention was when my body was still and my mind was quiet. Therefore, He lovingly chose to wake me up at 2:00 AM.

All week I’d felt like a fish swimming up-stream, pushing hard to complete with my self-imposed to-do list, to finish my self-imposed tasks — before my self-imposed deadlines.

If Satan wants to steal my joy, tempt me to compromise my convictions, or put distance between my thoughts and God’s thoughts — he knows exactly what to do —he keeps me busy. I’m a very task-oriented, driven person. The minute my eyes open in the morning, my mind is racing and I’m ready to take on the day. If I’m not careful, and intentional, I can easily find myself running around doing a whole bunch of stuff, rather than taking time to sit quietly at the feet of Jesus to properly prepare for the rest of my day.

On days when I spend time in my Bible and in prayer, my spirit is settled and I am more aware of God’s peace, presence, and point of view with me throughout the rest of my day. Jesus tells us to connect ourselves to Him and allow Him to teach us His ways. He wants to help us navigate life. He calls us to walk close by His side so our proper path will be clear and our lives will be easier to manage.

So what does this look like in real life?

Martha had a similar dilemma. We read her story in Luke 10:38-42. Martha clearly was upset that her sister wasn’t helping her. But Jesus lovingly informed her that “there is only one thing worth being concerned about,” sitting at His feet and learning from Him.

What is your daily routine? Do you start each day in close communion with God? What courageous changes do you need to make — to spend less time “doing” and more time “being” with the one who brings you peace through His presence?

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NASB).