"Hide in Your Busyness"

There remains, then, a Sabbath rest for the people of God. - Hebrews 4:9

Why are we so reluctant to take the Sabbath rest God offers us? For one thing, we're influenced by a society which teaches us to require more things faster, better things cheaper, quantity and quality, now. But our inability to rest is not only a sign of the times; it is one symptom of the fears that drive us to work harder, accomplish more, perform.

I am reluctant to rest because I am afraid--afraid to give up control. Resting forces me to give up control of some things; and, deep down, I am not sure that God can be trusted to follow through on them. If I rest, if I set aside God's work simply to enjoy him, will he see that his work is accomplished? Will he come through for me? Other fears lurk even deeper: If I take time to be with God for extended periods, will he make his presence and his care felt? What if I stop to listen and God doesn't speak? What if he doesn't have anything relevant to say?

Fear speaks loudly and persuasively: Hide in your busyness.

By keeping busy we not only avoid our fears about God, but about ourselves. Our activities become the things that define who we are. We don't have to stop and confront haunting questions: Am I good enough? How do people see me? Am I loved for who I am and not what I do? To rest is an act of courage. By resting we give God time to deal with our fears. When we rest, we live out what we believe.

• Bora Lee