Blog posts on Mondays are always excerpts from books, and today’s post comes from the book Spiritual Leadership. In this post, Henry and Richard Blackaby encourage us to think about the pace at which we move as leaders. Is it time you and I slow down just a bit? Here are their thoughts about our need for rest and for creating margin in our lives:

When people live their lives to the edge of capacity…they run great risks. Just like a car that is driven at full speed and improperly maintained, human bodies will break down if they are continually pushed to their limit…Those who saturate their schedules, leaving no room for unforeseen interruptions, are setting themselves up for a crisis…Leaders habitually live marginless lives. They cannot bear to be idle or unproductive. Empty spots on their calendars jump out as ideal places to take on new projects. God never planned it this way. Since the beginning of time, God has emphasized the need for rest (Gen. 2:2-3). 

This section of the book was very convicting for me (perhaps this brief excerpt was convicting for you?).  I realized that I have been “that guy” who has loved to fill up his calendar any time there has been a spot available.

Don’t feel guilty about intentionally calendaring time to dream about the future, or to reflect on your day or week. Jesus was extremely busy, but even he made time to retreat and get away from the press of the crowds. We don’t want to be too idle, but we also don’t want to run at full speed all the time. As a friend of mine once said, “You can’t run an engine at full speed all the time or it will seize up.”

How will you begin to create some margin on your calendar so that you have open blocks of time that you can devote to the Lord, your family, and people in your life who need ministry?