Peace Is My BirthrightSample

When was the last time you truly rested? Not just collapsed at the end of the day, but intentionally paused—breathed deeply—and sat quietly in peace? Our bodies crave rest, yet we often ignore the signs of exhaustion. Instead, we push through. We overload our schedules, overdose on caffeine, keep the news on too long, and every free moment we have we doom-scroll. Then, we wonder why we're feeling anxious and overwhelmed.

As a society, we have a problem with busyness. We're all on a hamster wheel of stress, and it feels normal to rush from one thing to the next. Why? Because everyone else is doing it. Research confirms this hamster wheel. According to the Pew Research Center, 60% of people feel too busy to enjoy life. If you're a parent? That number jumps to 74%. That means three out of four parents feel too overwhelmed to enjoy the everyday moments with their kids.

The Difference Between Hustle and Holy Work

Now, you may be thinking, I’m not stressed, I just like to work hard. And is a strong work ethic really such a bad thing? You could argue Jesus led a productive, busy life. He woke early, traveled often, and always went about His Father's business. But here's the difference: His work wasn't frantic. It wasn't rooted in stress, fear, or people-pleasing. It was intentional, Spirit-led, and deeply purposeful.

The difference between a busy, stressful life and a full, peace-filled life is intention.

We must ask ourselves: What is our motivation? Why are we choosing to add specific jobs, tasks, roles, and activities to our lives? To be praised by others? Are we doing it because everyone else is doing it? Or to be praised by our Heavenly Father?

Our life's focus should always be heavenward. Kingdom work is time-consuming and demanding, but more than that, it's intentional and purposeful. It's not wasteful, and it's not busy for the sake of being busy.

That is why I'm asking you to pause and reflect on your routines, rhythms, and schedules. Because when you do, you can typically discern if your busyness is from God, your own fleshly desires, or from the pressures of the world.

When we get sucked into hurry, we don't just lose time, we lose our peace.

Reclaiming Peace

If you feel stuck on the hamster wheel, know this: You don't have to stay there. God designed you for more than exhaustion. You can find restful rhythms, and you can reclaim your peace. You can refocus your mind and seek first the Kingdom of God.

So today, I challenge you to pause and reflect to start spotting areas in your routines and rhythms that need to change to find more peace.

Ask Yourself:

• What areas of my life feel the most rushed or chaotic?
• How can I intentionally create space for rest and stillness this week?