The Activity of the Day

Busy, busy, busy—it is so easy to fill our days with activity. With everything we have to do from day to day the demands upon our time seem to never end. If you are like me you long for a day to rest and do nothing, but when and if it ever happens we feel guilty for not doing anything. It seems that our identity is tied more to what we do than who we are yet it should really be the other way around.

Jesus was growing in popularity. People were swarming to see Him. On one occasion Jesus withdrew with His disciples to be alone, but when they got to the other side of the lake thousands had gotten there ahead of them. Jesus had compassion upon them and healed the sick; later in the day Jesus instructed the disciples to feed everyone—all 5,000 which with Jesus help they did with only five loaves and two fish.

This had been a busy day for Jesus and the disciples, yet it is what Jesus does next that is so interesting. Jesus sent the disciples back to the other side of the Sea of Galilee while He remained with the crowd. After the disciples were on their way Jesus dismissed the crowd. Jesus and the disciples could have stayed busy with the large crowd all night, but Jesus gave the disciples and Himself a chance to slow down and get away from the demands people could place upon them.

With the crowd dispersed, he climbed the mountain so he could be by himself and pray. He stayed there alone, late into the night.
Matthew 14:23 (MsgB)

Jesus let His identity define His activity. Everything he did flowed out of who he was. Yes Jesus was well known because of the things He did, but his activity did not define Him. He chose what He would do because He was the Son of God.

Jesus took time to be alone with the Father, to spend time in prayer. And Jesus showed His disciples the importance of getting away from all the activity of the crowd to be alone as well. If Jesus had not let His identity define His activity then the crowd would have given Him no rest—and no time to pray.

Taking time to be alone to rest and pray does not happen by chance. Something or someone will always be there demanding you do something. It’s your choice. You can let your activity define you, or like Jesus you can let your identity define what you do. You are a child of God. Will you take time to be with your Heavenly Father today?