By: Amy Edmonson

 “Then Jesus said, come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28

I have always struggled with saying no to people and opportunities. I felt like if I was available I should say yes, especially if it was ministry-related. How could I say no to serving, leading or helping others? I love doing all of those things. And these are all good things!   

 Last year, I found myself suffering from burnout. I was mentally and emotionally exhausted. I was struggling to give my best to anything or anyone, and not finding joy in the things I was committed to. My to-do list and calendar left very little time to rest. This is when God stopped me in my tracks. I felt Him calling me to make some changes that would allow me to slow down and take inventory of all that I was doing. At the time, I could not understand why I needed to slow down, and guilt began to creep in. I did not want to let people down and I liked being busy, but I also wanted to be obedient to what God was asking me to do: Let go, step back and focus so I could move forward. During my six-month sabbatical, God did a work in me that I so desperately needed.  

 First, God showed me that I had a pride issue. If I said no, who would say yes? If I didn't do it, who would? God doesn’t need us to accomplish His will, but invites us to come alongside Him and be part of what He is doing. His will is accomplished through us, not because of us.    

 God revealed to me that I was using my busyness as a way to avoid surrendering areas of my life that needed healing. If I stayed busy, I could ignore the pain and brokenness that I was not ready to deal with. By slowing down, I created the space to invite God in and allow Him to do the healing work that only He can do. I stopped running, and I sat at the feet of Jesus.  

 Every time I said yes to something, I was saying no to something else. Creating margin in my day, and in my life, allows me to have a more Spirit-led life. I have become more sensitive and aware of the people and moments in which the Holy Spirit is leading me to engage. I may have missed these moments in the past because they did not fit into my crowded calendar. 

 I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t describe their life as busy, but as we look at what we are filling our days with, are we creating margin to rest—to sit with Jesus and to be available?