You’re not the only one. Current research shows that 97% of the population is tired most of the time, and 89% are on various forms of anxiety or anti-depressants. A Huffington Post article stated that Canada is the “world’s biggest user of anti-depressants.” Leaders, who are the busiest people in our society, are not exempt from this modern day malaise.
For interest sake, at some of my retreats I put up a whiteboard with two words at the top. CALM and CRAZY. I explain it this way: “How do you feel when your life is calm? When your relationships are in order, finances are up to date, you feel well rested and you have margin in your life?” “Contrary, how do you feel when you’re tired, your house is in chaos, behind in your bill payments, children fighting and there is never enough time, enough sleep or enough money?” Then I ask women to write on the whiteboard how they feel. The words under the CRAZY column are shocking. Depressed, suicidal, lonely, making poor decisions, angry, hopeless and on and on.
Most women reveal that their life is like the CRAZY column.
When women peel back their masks they will admit they feel overwhelmed, tired and lonely. Bad news? This horror of hurry is not going away and not going to get better. Good news? Christian leaders don’t have to live this way we have the powerful and trustworthy word of God to teach us how to live.
1. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, 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” (Matthew 11:28 NIV).
So what does this verse teach us?
Come to me. As leaders we know we have to do this, but do we? Daily, we must lean into Jesus to understand His word so that we can use it and teach it in a way that is relevant to this fast paced generation. It is crucial we take time to listen to God’s voice to help us make good and wise decisions. To learn how to be grateful and content to set an example to people around us. Leaders model a lifestyle to our younger generation.
Before we go anywhere else, we must first hang out with Jesus.
2. Learn from me. Jesus was and still is our greatest example of a leader. Yet nowhere in the Bible have I read about Jesus running from place to place, being overwhelmed and frustrated. His focus was laser beam clear, “to do the will of His Father.” If we truly take Jesus’ yoke upon us we need to ask ourselves the harsh and humbling question: “Am I doing the will of the Father to glorify Him or myself?” Jesus says He is gentle and humble in heart. I receive those words like healing balm to my soul. This gives me grace to be kind to myself in my daily schedule, and to take time to be CALM.
The songwriter Paul Simon wrote these words in the 1970’s:
Slow down, you move too fast.
You got to make the morning last.
Just kicking down the cobblestones.
Looking for fun and feelin’ groovy.
Looking for fun and feelin’ groovy.
Are we too Christian and mature to kick some cobblestones? When was the last time you and I felt “groovy”? If we want to end up under the CALM column, I think we need to slow down, because we’re moving too fast.
Leave a Reply