A few weeks ago I came home from work and looked in our refrigerator for something to eat. I ended up taking an item from the freezer and started to prepare it. However, in the next instant I stopped in my tracks and looked for something else. I changed my mind not because I didn’t like the food—I knew I would enjoy it—but because I just didn’t want to spend the 10 to 15 minutes it would take to prepare it. So I settled for something quick and easy, and less enjoyable.

Has that ever happened to you? You settle for something less enjoyable because you don’t want to invest the time it takes to create the ideal alternative?

In today’s world we need things fast. We want results now. You can easily find instant copies, instant meals, instant marriage certificates, instant loans, and instant movies.

Too often our schedules are so packed with projects, meetings, assignments, appointments, deadlines, and commitments that we don’t have time for thoughtful reflection. We’re running from early in the morning to late into the night, and there’s no such thing as “after hours” anymore. I once heard a radio commentator jokingly say: “Leaving the office at 5:00 p.m. almost feels like working part-time.”

With today’s rapid lifestyle it’s no wonder that God admonishes us to take the time to be still and patiently wait on Him (Ps. 37:7). Christ wants to give us rest and peace, but too often the rush of life crowds out His still small voice.

It’s time that we set aside time for fellowship with Jesus. He longs to renew our minds, rejuvenate our souls, and refresh our spirits. He wants to give us rest, if we just take the time.