Finding Rest: Prioritizing Being with Jesus

Devotional

Day 1: Choosing the Best Over the Merely Good

It is easy to fill our lives with good things—serving, working, helping others—yet still miss what is most important. The story of Mary and Martha reminds us that even good and admirable activities can distract us from the best thing: being with Jesus, listening to Him, and nurturing our relationship with Him. When our busyness, even in service, causes us to neglect time at Jesus’ feet, we have crossed the line from healthy activity to harmful distraction. The call is to recognize when our “doing” for God overshadows our “being” with God, and to intentionally choose what is best. [23:44]

Luke 10:38-42 (ESV)
Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Reflection: What is one “good” thing in your life that may be distracting you from spending time with Jesus today? How can you intentionally choose the “best” instead?

Day 2: Embracing God’s Rhythm of Work and Rest

God designed us for a rhythm of work and rest, modeling this Himself in creation and commanding it for His people. When we ignore the Sabbath and refuse to rest, we not only harm ourselves physically and spiritually, but we also act as if we know better than God. True Sabbath is not about legalistic rules, but about trusting God enough to stop, to rest, and to let Him be God while we cease from our striving. Rest is a gift, a reminder that our value is not in our productivity, but in our relationship with the Creator who calls us to be still. [31:44]

Genesis 2:2-3 (ESV)
And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

Reflection: What is one practical way you can set aside time this week to rest and trust God, resisting the urge to fill every moment with activity?

Day 3: Finding Our True Identity in Christ

Our culture often tells us that our worth is found in what we do—our jobs, our achievements, our roles. But Scripture teaches that our true identity is as children of God, redeemed by Jesus Christ. When we root our value in our work, we risk idolatry and a never-ending cycle of striving. Instead, we are called to lay aside all other identities and embrace the one given to us in Christ: beloved, redeemed, and secure. This truth frees us from the pressure to prove ourselves and invites us to rest in who we are because of Jesus. [44:33]

1 John 3:1 (ESV)
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Reflection: In what area of your life are you most tempted to find your identity in what you do rather than in who you are in Christ? How can you remind yourself today that you are God’s beloved child?

Day 4: Receiving, Not Achieving—Resting in God’s Accomplished Work

God does not love us for what we accomplish, nor does He need us to do anything to earn His favor. All that is necessary for our salvation and worth has already been accomplished by Jesus. We are invited to receive a kingdom, not to build one by our own efforts. This truth calls us to worship with gratitude, to rest from our striving, and to trust that God’s purposes will be fulfilled regardless of our productivity. In a world that values doing, God invites us to be still and know that He is God. [58:01]

Psalm 46:10 (ESV)
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

Reflection: When you feel the pressure to achieve or prove your worth, how can you pause and remember that God has already accomplished all that truly matters for you?

Day 5: Setting Priorities and Practicing Intentional Presence

With so many demands and voices vying for our attention, it is easy to let others set our priorities for us. But we are called to intentionally put our relationship with Jesus first, not as a checklist item, but as the living center of our lives. This means making space for unhurried time with Him, setting boundaries, and letting our “being with” Jesus fuel all our “doing for” Him. When we prioritize presence over performance, we find the strength and clarity to live as God intended—rooted, rested, and whole. [51:39]

Matthew 6:33 (ESV)
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Reflection: What is one boundary you can set or one intentional practice you can adopt this week to ensure that your relationship with Jesus comes before all other demands?

Sermon Summary

Busyness is a reality that shapes much of our lives, often in ways we don’t even notice. Our culture praises those who do more, who fill every moment with activity, and who seem to juggle endless responsibilities. Yet, this constant drive to do “one more thing” can lead us into exhaustion, strained relationships, and even spiritual emptiness. The real danger is not in the things we do—many of them are good and worthwhile—but in allowing even good things to crowd out what is best: our relationship with Jesus.

The story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10 reminds us that it’s possible to be so busy serving—even serving Jesus—that we miss the invitation to simply be with Him. Martha’s work was good, but her anxiety and distraction kept her from the “one thing necessary.” Our doing for God must never exceed our being with God. Jesus Himself modeled this, withdrawing to spend time with the Father before major moments in His ministry. If He needed that connection, how much more do we?

God’s design for us includes both work and rest. From the very beginning, He established rhythms of Sabbath, not as a legalistic burden, but as a gift for our well-being. When we ignore this, we risk not only physical burnout but spiritual dryness. Sometimes, God will even allow circumstances to force us into rest if we refuse to take it ourselves. True rest is not just the absence of work, but a deliberate act of trust—laying down our burdens and letting God be God.

Another sign that we are too busy is when our identity becomes wrapped up in what we do. The world tells us our worth is measured by our productivity, but Scripture tells us our true identity is as beloved children of God, redeemed by Christ. When we forget this, we fall into a cycle of striving and self-justification, always trying to prove our value.

The way forward is to set clear priorities, putting our relationship with Jesus above all else. This means intentionally making space for rest, for worship, and for simply being with Him. It means letting go of the need to accomplish everything and trusting that God is sovereign over our lives. In the end, all that truly matters has already been accomplished by Christ. Our call is to receive, to rest, and to worship with grateful hearts.

Key Takeaways

1. The subtle danger of busyness is not in doing bad things, but in allowing good things to distract us from the best thing—intimacy with Jesus. Like Martha, we can become anxious and troubled by many tasks, missing the invitation to sit at His feet. The measure of “too busy” is not a number of tasks, but whether our relationship with Christ is being crowded out. [23:44]
2. God’s design for us includes both diligent work and intentional rest. Sabbath is not a legalistic rule, but a gracious gift that reminds us we are not defined by our productivity. When we refuse to rest, we are not just risking physical exhaustion, but spiritual disconnection from the source of life. [28:12]
3. Our identity is not found in what we do, but in who we are in Christ. The world—and even our own hearts—may try to define us by our roles, achievements, or failures, but Scripture insists that our truest self is “child of God, redeemed by Jesus Christ.” To seek identity elsewhere is to commit a subtle form of idolatry. [37:51]
4. True rest is an act of faith. When we set aside our lists and worries, we declare that God is on the throne and that the world does not depend on our constant activity. Sabbath rest is a practical way to “be still and know that He is God,” trusting that He holds all things together even when we pause. [55:50]
5. The path to freedom from busyness begins with setting priorities that put Jesus first. This requires intentional boundaries and a willingness to disappoint cultural expectations. When we prioritize being with Jesus over doing for Jesus, we find the peace, strength, and wholeness that our souls truly crave. [49:34]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[19:13] - The Culture of Busyness
[20:01] - Praising Busyness and Its Consequences
[21:18] - When Good Distracts from Best
[22:05] - Mary and Martha: Choosing the Good Portion
[25:03] - Doing for God vs. Being with God
[27:08] - Jesus’ Model of Rest and Relationship
[28:12] - God’s Design: Work and Sabbath
[31:44] - The Spiritual Cost of Ignoring Rest
[33:14] - Sabbath for the Land and for Us
[35:56] - Personal Testimony: Learning to Rest
[37:51] - Identity in Work vs. Identity in Christ
[42:36] - The Crisis of Lost Identity
[46:15] - God’s Love Is Not Based on Productivity
[48:37] - Setting Priorities and Boundaries
[54:10] - Practicing True Rest
[55:50] - Be Still and Know That He Is God
[56:45] - Our Identity and Rest in Christ
[58:01] - Receiving the Unshakable Kingdom
[59:43] - Prayer for Clarity, Rest, and Reprioritization

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Luke 10:38-42 (ESV) — > Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Genesis 2:2-3 (ESV) — > And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

1 John 3:1 (ESV) — > See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.

Observation Questions

In the story of Mary and Martha, what was Martha doing, and what was Mary doing? How did Jesus respond to Martha’s complaint? (Luke 10:38-42)
According to Genesis 2, what did God do on the seventh day after creating the world? Why is this significant? (Genesis 2:2-3)
What does 1 John 3:1 say about our identity? How does this contrast with how the world often defines us?
The sermon mentions that busyness is not always about doing bad things. What are some examples given of “good things” that can distract us from what is best? [23:44]

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Jesus said that “one thing is necessary” and that Mary had chosen “the good portion”? What does this reveal about Jesus’ priorities for us? (Luke 10:41-42)
The sermon suggests that our “doing for God” should never exceed our “being with God.” What does this mean practically, and why is it important? [25:03]
How does the biblical idea of Sabbath challenge our culture’s view of productivity and rest? What does it mean that Sabbath is a gift, not a burden? [28:12]
The sermon talks about finding our identity in Christ rather than in our work or achievements. Why is it dangerous to let our identity be defined by what we do? [37:51]

Application Questions

Think about your current weekly schedule. Are there “good things” that might be crowding out your time with Jesus? What is one specific change you could make to prioritize being with Him? [23:44]
The sermon describes Sabbath as a “gift” and a time to rest and trust God. What would it look like for you to intentionally set aside time for true rest this week? What challenges might you face in doing this? [28:12]
When you introduce yourself or think about your value, do you tend to focus on what you do or who you are in Christ? How can you remind yourself of your true identity as a child of God? [37:51]
The speaker shared about making a physical list of worries and giving them to God as an act of trust. Is there a burden or worry you need to “hand over” to God right now? How could you practice this in a tangible way? [54:10]
Setting boundaries can be hard, especially when others expect us to always be available. Is there a boundary you need to set (with work, family, or even church activities) to protect your relationship with Jesus? What’s one step you could take this week? [49:34]
The sermon says, “True rest is an act of faith.” When you rest, do you find it hard to trust that God is still in control? Why or why not? How can you grow in this area? [55:50]
The world often praises busyness and productivity. How can you resist the pressure to find your worth in what you accomplish? What would it look like to “be still and know that He is God” in your daily life? [55:50]

Sermon Clips

But when we think that way, when we have that attitude, we are allowing what is good to distract us from what is best. And the way that we appear to be made is for our relationship with Jesus to be the thing that propels us into those other things that we are called to do. [00:26:19] (23 seconds) #consequencesOfOverwork

If Jesus needed that sort of relationship, if he needed the strength that came from that sort of relationship to do what his father had called him to do, why do we think that we can get away without that? If we're too busy with the tasks that we have taken upon ourselves to spend time sitting at the feet of Jesus, meditating on his word, talking to him in prayer, then we are too busy. [00:27:41] (31 seconds) #sabbathEnforcedRest

God built into his design for creation, his design for the nation of Israel, and his design for us to work and to rest. And if we are regularly, consistently, too busy to rest in the way that he describes, then we are too busy. [00:29:18] (27 seconds) #restBeforeCollapse

``Our identity as believers isn't in what it is that we do, it's not in where we were born, it's not in the color of our skin, it's not in what we can produce. Our identity as believers is in Christ and in Christ alone and to the extent that we are seeking and finding identity in something less than him we are robbing him of glory and we are committing idolatry. [00:38:59] (29 seconds) #beingBeforeDoing

The thief is no longer a thief. He stole something, so you said he's a thief. He's not a thief anymore. He is a child of God redeemed by Jesus Christ for eternal life. That good student is no longer a good student. She is a child of God redeemed by Jesus Christ for eternal life. That liar is no longer a liar. What is he? He is a child of God redeemed by Jesus Christ for eternal life. Both the farmer, the pastor, whatever it is that we have done, that we have adopted as our identities, those aren't who we are. Who we are is I am a child of God who has been redeemed by Jesus Christ. That is who I am. [00:44:01] (54 seconds) #sabbathBringsLife

All of the things that we've done for good or for bad are laid aside at the foot of the cross, and we take on that new identity, child of God, beloved forever, through the death, the resurrection, and the soon return of Jesus, our Messiah. [00:44:55] (17 seconds) #beStillTrustGod

The world will tell us that our worth and our value is measured by what we can do. But God does not love us because of what we do. He does not love us because we are productive. His love for us doesn't vary according to how much we are doing. [00:46:26] (16 seconds) #identityRootedInJesus

When we rest, we are saying, regardless of what I do or not do, God is still on his throne. He still rules over all creation and I don't have to worry about anything. Psalm 46. Be still and know that I am God. God is God and we are not. And we can be still and he is still God. We can accomplish nothing on our lists and he is still God. Be still. Rest and know that he is God. [00:55:53] (43 seconds)

Our worth and our value as people isn't determined by what we have done or what we haven't been able to do. Our identity isn't in the good work that we do any more than it is defined by our sin. but our identity as believers is and must be rooted and grounded entirely and completely and only in Jesus. He is the one who takes from us our sin. He washes us clean of it, and he gives to us his righteousness, all of the good things that he has done, all of the things that we need to do that matter in the grand scheme of things have already been done for us by Christ. There is nothing else on our list of eternal significance that has to be done. He's done it all. [00:56:45] (50 seconds)

And so in our resting and in our working, in our full and our busy lives, all that we need to do has been accomplished in Jesus. And all that we have failed to do has been taken away from us by Jesus. And so all that remains for us is this then, to look to Jesus, the author and the perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despised into shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. [00:57:45] (35 seconds)

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