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Mark 6:31 - Stress Relief

Mark 6:31 (NKJV) And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.

INTRODUCTION

When the disciples had returned from their mission, Jesus took them away to rest. Doing God's work is very important, but Jesus recognized that to do it effectively we need periodic rest and renewal. [Life Application SB]

COMMENTARY PEARL

Stress Relief
   Think of the last time you felt emotionally exhausted. Did you snap at the tiniest irritant? You're not alone. According to the American Institute of Stress, 33 percent of people polled in 2023 reported feeling extreme stress. Seventy-seven percent say stress affects their physical health, 73 percent say it affects their mental health, and 48 percent say it disturbs their sleep. And half of all Americans say their stress levels are rising.
   Jesus' disciples needed to learn how to cope with stress. After a busy period of evangelistic work, He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." This single sentence is packed with powerful suggestions that lead to true rest. First, Christ says, "Come." The Savior makes the invitation to respond to His call. And with it comes the assurance of rest.
   Jesus also said to come "aside by yourselves to a deserted place" - that is, stop what you are doing, remove yourself from the chaotic schedule you are trying to keep, and go where you cannot be bothered. Perhaps that means going somewhere for a walk or for a weekend vacation - and turning off your cell phone.
   In addition to separating yourself from stressors, Christ ends with the command to "rest a while." This instruction is more than just an order; it is a promise. When you take moments to be alone, you will enjoy a healing time that comes to those who slow down and commune with Jesus.
   Are you living a balanced life? Do you keep yourself so busy, even doing "good" things for the Lord, that you never stop for periods of rest? Listen to Jesus and obey His call, and you will find rest.
   Lord Jesus, I am overwhelmed at times by responsibilities, schedules, and other stressors. May I find rest in You. [The Most Amazing Bible Promises by Amazing Facts]

COMMENTARY

Danger from Overwork
   When the apostles returned from their first missionary journey, the Saviour's command to them was, "Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest awhile." [Mark 6:31.] They had been putting their whole souls into labor for the people, and this was exhausting their physical and mental strength. It was their duty to rest.
   Christ's words of compassion are spoken to His workers today just as surely as to His disciples. "Come ye yourselves apart, ... and rest awhile," He says to those who are worn and weary. It is not wise to be always under the strain of work and excitement, even in ministering to men's spiritual needs; for in this way personal piety is neglected, and the powers of mind and soul and body are overtaxed. Self-denial is required of the servants of Christ, and sacrifices must be made; but God would have all study the laws of health, and use reason when working for Him, that the life which He has given may be preserved.
   Though Jesus could work miracles, and had empowered His disciples to work miracles, He directed His worn servants to go apart into the country and rest. When He said that the harvest was great and the laborers were few, He did not urge upon His disciples the necessity of ceaseless toil, but said, "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth laborers into His harvest." [Matthew 9:38.] God has appointed to every man his work, according to his ability; and He would not have a few weighted with responsibilities, while others have no burden, no travail of soul.
   The servants of Christ are not to treat their health indifferently. Let no one labor to the point of exhaustion, thereby disqualifying himself for future effort. Do not try to crowd into one day the work of two. At the end, those who work carefully and wisely will be found to have accomplished as much as those who so expend their physical and mental strength that they have no deposit from which to draw in time of need.
   God's work is world-wide; it calls for every jot and tittle of the ability and power that we have. There is danger that His workers will abuse their powers as they see that the field is ripe for the harvest; but the Lord does not require this. After His servants have done their best, they may say, The harvest truly is great, and the laborers are few; but God "knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust." [Psalm 103:14.]
   Intemperance in eating and drinking, intemperance in labor, intemperance in almost everything, exists on every hand. Those who make great exertions to accomplish just so much in a given time, and continue to labor when their judgment tells them they ought to rest, are never gainers. They are expending force that they will need at a future time. When the energy which they have so recklessly used is called for, they fail for lack of it. Physical strength is gone, and mental power is unavailable. Their time of need has come, and their resources are exhausted.
   Each day brings its responsibilities and duties, but the work of tomorrow must not be crowded into the hours of today. God is merciful, full of compassion, reasonable in His requirements. He does not ask us to pursue a course of action that will result in the loss of physical health or the enfeebling of the mental powers. He would not have us work under a pressure and strain until exhaustion follows, with prostration of the nerves.
   There is need that God's chosen workmen should listen to the command to go apart and rest awhile. Many valuable lives have been sacrificed because of a disregard of this command. There are those who might be with us today, to help forward the cause both at home and in foreign lands, had they but realized before it was too late that they were in need of rest. These workers saw that the field is large and the need for workers great, and they felt that at any cost they must press on. When nature uttered a protest, they paid no heed, but did double the work they should have done; and God laid them in the grave to rest until the last trump shall sound to call the righteous forth to immortality.
   When a laborer has been under a heavy pressure of care and anxiety, and is overworked in both body and mind, he should turn aside and rest awhile, not for selfish gratification, but that he may be better prepared for future duties. We have a vigilant foe, who is ever on our track, ready to take advantage of every weakness that would help to make his temptations effective. When the mind is overstrained and the body enfeebled, he presses upon the soul his fiercest temptations. Let the laborer carefully husband his strength, and when wearied with toil, let him turn aside and commune with Jesus. GW243-245

A Quiet Place
   It is almost 10:00, Monday night. The children are snoozing upstairs. Aside from a few outside noises - a passing car ... a barking dog ... a few, faint voices in the distance - all's quiet on the home front. That wonderful, much-needed presence has again come for a visit - quietness. I recall when our children were little, how valuable times of silence were to both Cynthia and me.
   One of my most poignant memories of quietness occurred in California when I was walking with a friend along the sandy shores at Carmel. The early dawn silence was broken only by the rolling surf and the cry of gulls soaring overhead. The thought I had then I often have now: I cannot be the man I should be without times of quietness.
   Stillness is an essential part of our growing deeper - especially as we grow older.
   In Mark's gospel, we learn how Jesus displayed a daily commitment to the discipline of quietness:
   Jesus said, "Let's go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile." He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn't even have time to eat. So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone. Mark 6:31-32
   Jesus understood how busy they had been. He realized the importance of finding a quiet place. He knew the value of "alone" time. You and I need that too - a place and time each day when we withdraw from the frenzy of our lives and seek the Lord, open His Word, and simply sit and enjoy the silence.
   May I remind you? That still, small voice will never shout. God's volume doesn't increase because we allow noise and activity to overrun our day. He desires to refresh you and encourage you, like a shepherd leading sheep beside still water (see Psalm 23). He will never barge in and make demands.
   No, He'll wait to meet with you.
   Would you consider finding a quiet place today? How about tomorrow and the next day? Can you set aside twenty minutes to be alone with Jesus? You'll be so glad you did. [Chuck Swindoll www.insight.org.]

Managing Stress Like Jesus: Take Time to Recharge
   When we think about Jesus, we tend to think about the miracles. We think about him teaching thousands. We think about him dying for our sins - and rising from the dead on the first Easter morning.
   But we don't usually think about Jesus relaxing.
   That's too bad because it's one of the reasons Jesus was able to live stress-free despite all the demands upon his life.
   Over the last few days, I've been sharing with you principles of how Jesus managed stress. The first six were:
   1. Identification: Know who you are
   2. Motivation: Know whose approval you are living for
   3. Vocation: Know your calling
   4. Concentration: Focus on what matters most
   5. Meditation: Listen to God
   6. Collaboration: Join a small group
   The seventh and final one is the Principle of Recreation.
   Even though Jesus had more important work to do than we do, he still took time to relax, go to parties, and just have fun.
   The Bible says, "Crowds of people were coming and going so that Jesus and his followers did not even have time to eat. He said to them, 'Come away by yourselves, and we will go to a lonely place to get some rest'" (Mark 6:31 NCV).
   In Mark 6, Jesus and the disciples didn't even have time to eat because they were so busy. But Jesus looks at his small group and says, "Guys, you deserve a break today. So let's get away."
   If Jesus can rest and relax, so can we.
   In fact, God thought rest and relaxation was so important he put it in the Ten Commandments. Right along with commands to not murder, commit adultery, or steal, God tells us to take one out of every seven days to worship and rest.
   If you're too busy to take time off, you're simply too busy - and likely too stressed. [Daily Devotional by Rick Warren: https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]

ILLUSTRATIONS

   The number of missionaries within our international nonprofit ministry is growing. That means God is doing a good work, and for that I'm excited and grateful. The gospel is spreading, more disciples are being made, and more people are practicing generosity toward God's kingdom. That's all good. But growth also means more behind-the-scenes administrative work, additional staff care, more volunteer recruitment and training, and so forth. I'm often away from home for a total of three to four months every year. When I'm on North American turf, I'm either writing or spending time with my family, all whom live far from Vancouver.
   Nothing thrills me more than serving Jesus, and this ministry is what He's called me to do. I marvel at the health and strength He gives me day by day. However, I can learn much from His encouragement to administer self-care.
   The disciples had just returned from a short-term mission trip (Mark 6:30-32). Jesus knew they'd poured out their lives to teach and perform miracles, and He knew they needed to refill. He invited them to a quiet place, a guilt-free retreat to rest and debrief. "So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place" (verse 32, NIV).
   Jesus has blessed me with the means to follow His example literally. I can sail away to a quiet cove for rest - and I do. It works! What can you do for self-care? Remember it's guilt-free and for your good. - Grace Fox
   Faith Step: Schedule a day to rest your body and renew your soul. [Mornings With Jesus 2022 Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan]

   A widow from Vancouver, British Columbia, attended a women's conference where I spoke. After the last session, she came to me and said, "My house has a large daylight basement with a room for people in career ministry. The beach is fifteen minutes away. You're welcome to stay there whenever you need a personal retreat."
   After six months of traveling overseas and across North America for ministry purposes, I yearned for physical rest and spiritual renewal. A focused quiet time with Jesus, away from my home responsibilities, seemed just the right thing. I gratefully accepted her invitation.
   The retreat lasted only two days, but it allowed time to read, reflect, and pray. I returned home refreshed, ready to write again, and feeling better prepared for an upcoming mission trip to Poland.
   Jesus commends the discipline of withdrawing from busyness to sit in His presence. Luke 10:38-42 tells the story of sisters Mary and Martha. While Martha scurried about the kitchen, Mary "sat at the Lord's feet, listening to what he taught." When Martha expressed her frustration, Jesus gently told her that Mary had discovered the one thing that mattered most.
   What's that one thing? Sitting in His presence. Jesus cares about our well-being. He created us with a need to rest and spend time with Him. When we withdraw from the noise and hustle, even if only for a few minutes, we experience renewal. by Grace Fox
   Faith Step: Read Luke 10:38-42. Put yourself in Mary's place, sitting at Jesus's feet. Give yourself permission to sit at His feet for a few minutes today, guilt-free. [Mornings With Jesus 2019 Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan]

CLOSING THOUGHT

Be Selective
   Disregard of our physical life may affect our spiritual well-being, for what goes on in the body greatly influences, though it does not control, what goes on in the soul and spirit.
   My suggestion in relation to this physical aspect of our lives is this: discipline your times of rest and recreation. Some recreations do not recreate; rather, they exhaust one. They leave one morally and spiritually flabby and unfit. I find that after watching some television programs, I have been challenged or lifted, but others leave me feeling inwardly ravished. The delicacies of life seem somehow to have been invaded, the finest flowers of the spirit trampled on, and one comes out drooping. I am learning to be more selective in my recreations. One should never expose oneself to a film or television program that is likely to leave one spiritually or morally depleted - not if you value the higher values. It is like allowing pigs into your parlor.
   The same can be said of other recreations. Some pieces of literature can leave you with a sense of moral and spiritual exhaustion. Don't fall for the idea that one has to read everything that comes to hand in order to understand life. This is where many of our Christian young people need help. Does one have to wallow in a mud-hole in order to understand filth? Does a doctor have to take germs into his own body in order to understand how they function? Recreation is extremely important to help us stay spiritually fresh, but we need to make sure our recreations really recreate.
   Father, You have made me for health and rhythm. Help me to be sensitive to all the things I need to do so that I am at my best spiritually and physically. I want to honor you in everything I do - even in my recreations. Amen. [Every Day With Jesus Bible with Selwyn Hughes devotional]

LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY

Psalm 46:10 - Being Still to Know God.
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20230303-0717.html

Hebrews 4:2 - The Faithful find Rest in Jesus!
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2005/20051125-1005.html

Exodus 33:14 - God's Presence and Rest.
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20230202-0916.html

Matthew 11:28-30 - Come to Christ and Find Real Rest!
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20201121-0955.html

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

https://abible.com/links/