A recent study revealed a startling statistic: we touch our phones 2,617 times a day. Our screens command an average of 7 hours of our waking hours, and the average person receives up to 85 text messages a day!
Our devices aren’t the only thing commanding our attention. Many of us have jobs, families, and homes that require us to constantly be on alert. It can feel impossible to slow down and find some semblance of inner peace.
If anyone understood a chaotic life, it was Jesus. Sure, Jesus didn’t live in the era of cell phones and side hustles, but he understood the constant demand of peoples’ attention and expectations. He lived a fast-paced life of ministry, and yet he still stands as a prime example of calm in the midst of chaos.
So how did Jesus do it? What can we learn from his example about cultivating more stillness in our own lives?
Lessons from Jesus for a peaceful mind
In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus gives us an invitation to peace:
"Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light."
This invitation is a lifeline extended to anyone feeling the weight of life. Jesus promises to share our burdens and help us carry the things that often weigh us down.
Share the weight with Jesus
The key to having more peace in life, therefore, is in accepting Jesus’ invitation to help us shoulder the burdens we’ve been trying to carry on our own. Our circumstances may not change, but any load is lighter with someone to help bear the weight.
The imagery Jesus used in Matthew 11 is a pair of oxen sharing a yoke. In this situation, the oxen are forced to walk at the same pace. In the same way, Jesus not only calls us to share the yoke but also to match his pace.
But in a world where it’s so easy to get swept up in the rushing current of daily life, how do we slow down and keep pace with Jesus?
Seek out stillness with God
In Jesus’ own life, which wasn’t without its pressures, he modeled stillness with God. Moments of solitude, like when Jesus went to an isolated place early in the morning (Luke 4:42-44) or spent an entire night in prayer before making significant decisions (Luke 6:12-13), demonstrate the transformative power of stillness. In a culture addicted to speed and noise, Jesus's deliberate choice to walk slowly, pull away, get quiet, and be still offers a profound contrast.
So how can we become more like Jesus in the way we go about life? How can we slow down, take time with God, and allow ourselves to silence the noise for a bit?
- Get quiet. Like Jesus, are we willing to carve out consistent, distraction-free time with God? One of the keys to peace in life is taking time for prayer, reading God's Word, and finding stillness. Figure out the time of day that works best for you, and the environment where you can quiet your mind easiest – even if things aren’t so quiet around you – and show up consistently.
- Get close. It’s normal for God to feel far away at times, but it’s essential to keep in mind that he isn’t the one that moves – we are. To hear the gentle whisper of God’s voice, we need to stay close to him.
Whether you're exploring faith or have been a believer for years, the invitation stands – a lighter life and a more peaceful mind is found in stillness with Jesus. In the quiet, we discover a transformative closeness to God that changes how we navigate life's heaviness.
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A Bible Reading Plan is a great way to build the habit of finding stillness and reading God’s Word. This Bible Reading Plan that takes you through the book of Proverbs is a great place to start!
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