Mark 1:35-38
35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37 and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38 And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.”
Everyone is looking for you
Does this feel true in your life? Do you feel like it’s hard to get a moment alone? Or
Do you ever feel the pressure to get a lot done? Like there is too much to do and not enough time to do it?
There have several seasons of my life when I felt this way. It’s overwhelming and and easy to get burnt out when you feel like everyone is looking to you. So, what do you do?
In these short three verses Jesus gives us a model of how to react to the pressures of life.
Preparing for the pressure:
We all know pressures are going to come. There is no escape. We all have responsibilities. There is work pressure, family pressure, pressure from our doctors for better health, personal pressure, pressure from society and the list goes on and on. Is there a way to prepare for the pressures of life that we know are coming? Let’s look at what Jesus did:
He got up early in the morning when it was still dark.
I used to hate getting up early. It honestly seemed impossible to me and I thought even if I did get up, I wouldn’t be able to function throughout the rest of the day. For a season I was able to do it and it became my favorite time of day. So much so that the days I wasn’t able to get up at least an hour I was so disappointed. Because of ever changing circumstances and seasons of life, I’m now trying to get back into this practice. I love my quiet time in the morning. Is there a way you can get up 15 minutes earlier? I found that many people find success in getting up earlier if they start with small intervals.
He went to a deserted place.
Now, I’m not suggesting you have to leave your house and drive into the desert, but finding a place that is quiet without many distractions is crucial. If your phone is a distraction, leave it in another room. If the room you are in is a mess and all you can think about is cleaning it, find somewhere else. This may take some brainstorming or planning, but it is worth it. I have a friend that sits on a stool in the shower (no water running), closes the curtain and has her quiet time in there. She has created her own little holy place. This place should allow you to hush your soul and be quiet before the Lord.
He prayed
Jesus, a member of the Trinity, the God-Man, felt it important to pray. Taking time to pray – really pray and commune with God. He says in John 5:19 “Truly, Truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.” When we pray we get to not only pour out hearts to God, praising Him and making petitions, but we get to hear from God: encouragement, instruction, correction. Prayer is the key to walking closely with God.
Dealing with the pressure when it comes.
You notice that Jesus is alone praying and the disciples are searching for him, not seeming to respect what he’s doing. This happens to us doesn’t it? We are trying to stay focused, trying to do the thing(s) we know we should do but it seems the needs of others still come. They interrupt us and disrupt our focus.
The disciples say “Everyone is looking for you”. The disciples are reacting to the pressure of others and they try to pass the pressure onto Jesus.
I can hear them now, ‘Jesus, there are all these expectations from all these people and they are coming to us asking where you are. Hurry up, take care of them.’ Often, the pressures others try to put on us, are from expectations from others. How many times do we run around doing things because of what others will think?
But what does Jesus do?
He says, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out”
He does not give in to the pressure of the disciples or the pressure and expectations of the people.
His ‘why’ leads him to act, NOT other people’s ‘wishes’.
The people’s needs were serious. He probably could have spent a great deal of time in that place, caring for the people, but that was not in alignment with God’s plan for Him.
Note: He did not ignore the needs of others, but because of His time alone, without distractions, praying and communing with God, He was clear on His why, his mission, and could move forward without guilt, doing what God had directed, when He directed.
How would your day look different if you took time to prepare in advance for the pressures and expectations others would try to put on you? How would your life change if you walked in and lived out your ‘why’ instead of reacting to other people’s ‘wishes’?
Lord,
Thank you that we have the ability to pray and communicate with you. Let us not take that for granted. Help us to follow the example of Jesus, to set aside time with you, elevating that time as a time of importance in our day. Give us ears to hear You and understanding and wisdom to live our lives based on the purpose You have set out for us. Give us courage to say ‘no’ to things outside of your will. Thank you for this example Jesus set for us. Thank you for your patience with us and your instruction to us. May we live for you and glorify you as we live.
In Jesus’s name,
Amen.