A Quiet Place
A Quiet Place
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He got up, went out, and made His way to a deserted place. And He was praying there. (Mark 1:35)
I sneaked into my home office early with a long to-do list running through my head. My Bible, journal, and devotional called to me from the bookshelf, but the clock screamed louder. In thirty minutes I had to get my youngest up for school. If I expected to get a head start, I needed to begin now. Pausing to pray and read my Bible would only suck away valuable time.
My day continued at its frenzied pace until I tucked my seven-year-old in for the night, leaving me too exhausted to do anything but fall into bed. Had I really accomplished more by diving headfirst into my day? What happened to following Jesus’ example of taking time to commune with the Father?
The next day I tried the opposite approach. I ignored the tug of my laptop and my list, reaching instead for my Bible and journal. As I spent time with God, I savored the difference in my mood and my idea of what I needed to accomplish. If the Son of God spent time in prayer, who was I to think I could get by without it?
Jesus had a busy schedule—teaching, preparing His disciples for ministry, and meeting the needs of others. He knew that He had a short time to accomplish what He came to do. Yet how often do we see Him bolting upright in the morning and tackling a long list of tasks? He was fully God, yet in His humanity He knew where to draw His strength. He offered us an example for how to go into a purpose-filled, productive day. Sometimes an exhausting ending reminds us that reflecting and honoring Christ includes starting our days as He did.