Rest Under Pressure

I want to share another example from Jesus’ life when it comes to REST.

One day, Jesus was teaching when some men interrupted Him. They brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and threw her down in front of Him.

“The law says she should be stoned. What do You say?”

Jesus was being pressured to give a quick answer.

But He didn’t.

Instead, He bent down and began writing in the dirt.

The men kept pressing Him for an answer, but Jesus waited.

There have been many theories over the years about what Jesus was writing in the dirt. We aren’t told, so I don’t think we can know for sure.

But I personally wonder if Jesus was simply waiting for wisdom from the Father.

Jesus said, “I only do what I see My Father doing, and I only say what I hear Him saying.”

Perhaps this was one of those moments.

He didn’t allow the pressure of the moment to determine His response.

He waited.

And when He knew what to say, He said it.

His response completely diffused the situation.

How many times have we been pressured to give a quick assessment, make a quick judgment, or respond before we have all the facts?

And how many times have those rushed decisions come back to haunt us?

This is one of the reasons I believe REST is so important.

What if we made a practice of getting quiet with God before the day gets started?

Before the emails.

Before the meetings.

Before the demands.

Before the pressure to respond.

What if we simply sat with Him and asked, “Father, what do You want me to see today? What do You want me to say? How do You want me to respond?”

I think we might find ourselves making better decisions—not because we have become smarter, but because we have learned to wait.

Sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do when we are under pressure…

is REST.