Creating Margin
I was recently challenged by the question, “Do you have any margin in your life?” I stopped, pondered that question and although I would like to say “yes,” I must admit, the honest answer is “NO!” And it is not just because I have a busy schedule or the holiday season is upon us. I just don’t have margin built into my schedule. Even while on vacation this past week, I worked. Maybe you can relate…
I was reading the story of Martha and Mary, the two sisters of Lazarus (Luke 10:38-42), and was reminded of a very troubling verse. “‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’”
My default setting is Martha, and I am not a very good Mary. How do I know when the line is crossed and I’m out of balance? It’s when I begin to “worry and get upset about many things” (trivial, non-essential things). Jesus says, “Only one thing is needed…and it’s better.” What is it? The heart of Mary, who rested in His presence.
Dr. Richard Swenson is a physician and a futurist, who wrote a 1990’s book entitled, “Margin.” He describes modern society as harried, hassled, and overloaded with no room left for rest. He identified America as being “drowsy” and the “age of depressed anxiety.” He says, “Overload is not having time to finish the book you’re reading on stress. Margin is having time to read it twice. Overload is fatigue. Margin is energy. Overload is red ink. Margin is black ink. Overload is hurry. Margin is calm. Overload is anxiety. Margin is security. Overload is a disease of our day. Margin is the cure.”
One could argue margin is Mary, overload is Martha. How do we find margin? How do we find “divine proportion” that creates the space we need to think, reflect, breathe, recharge and operate at our best? How do we avoid margin erosion?
Coffee! That’s been my answer! Just drink more coffee, stay up later and “get ‘er done.” In fact, according to a recent Travel Oregon article there are 80 coffee roasters in Portland alone! Even Vancouver is becoming a small coffee mecca. There must be a better solution than coffee… Thankfully there is.
God’s ideal for emotional, physical and spiritual well-being is the practice of the lost art of the Sabbath. In fact, the Sabbath was given as a principle of moral behavior in the 4th commandment. (Deut. 5)
The Hebrew word for Sabbath is Shabbat, which literally means "to cease,” to “stop and rest.” Diana Ross and the Supremes sing it best, “Stop! In the name of love. Before you break my heart.” Without stopping, you will break.
God himself modeled the example during creation. Genesis 2:1-2 says, “Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all his work.”
Think about this: creation's climatic culmination is that of stopping. God is not resting because He was tired or needs to, but He models an example for us. God stopped to show us that what we create becomes meaningful to us only once we stop creating it and start to think about why we did. GOD stops, looks at creation, and says, “It is good!”
God’s message is plain: “If creation didn’t crash when I rested, it won’t crash when you do.” Jesus, while on earth, also modeled this for us. He would often separate himself from others in a private place for a period of time. He took moments to disconnect from the things of this world in order to reconnect intimately with God.
Unquestionably, most of us know the value of rest and sabbath, yet our problem is what do we do during this rest? Many just sit and watch sports or binge-watch shows. Others spend time scrolling aimlessly on social media. Many spend time with family and friends or go on walks, while others frequent the aforementioned 80+ coffee houses. Those things all have value, as we do just need mindless activities from time to time.
Yet, I would suggest the real answer of what to do with your sabbath comes to us in the form of an invitation. The invitation is from Jesus in Matthew 11. I love how the Message paraphrases this passage, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
Three words stick out to me: Come, watch and learn.
To the tired, worn out and burned-out, Jesus says, “Come.” The invitation is open to all. This is more than just an academic exercise or a mental ascent. It’s a call for priority, commitment, dedication and surrender. Many things call us to “come,” but not all those things are healthy. Only one thing is needed: a healthy renewal of our tired souls by coming to the great physician who gives us the prescription for abundant life.
Jesus then says, “Watch how I do it.” In a world full of influencers, who is influencing you? Whose voice do you trust and follow amidst the cacophony of so many voices? Repeatedly, throughout the ministry of Jesus he would invite people to “follow Him.” The invitation was to come and see, come and watch, come and imitate. Ephesians 5:1 says, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” The NIV translates it as, “Follow God’s example” and the Message says, “Watch what God does, and then you do it.” The Greek term for "imitate," is the root of our English word, "mimic." In other words, become a person who copies the words and behaviors of Jesus. In ancient times, students were expected to imitate their teachers as part of their training. This may be heresy but I would say it this way, “Jesus is our chief influencer.”
Finally, to the troubled mind, Jesus says, “Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.” (What a great line). Learning is a process. It takes time, effort and commitment. Yet, grace is unforced, meaning grace will flow naturally when we “come” and “watch” (imitate) the example of Jesus. Therefore, grace is not a burden, rather a delight. When Jesus spoke of “the unforced rhythms of grace,” He means that there is an ease and enjoyment when you walk in His grace. This is in contrast to the struggle and strain found in self-effort that we are sold on every day by our culture. Everything around us tells us to do more, to try harder, to get ahead and stay ahead.
Jesus says, Stop. Rest. Let grace empower you to live an effective and glorious life. In fact, Jesus said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
John Piper said it this way, “Grace is Power, not just pardon!” It is God acting generously and powerfully to do for us what we cannot do ourselves.
The Apostle Peter would define it this way, “May grace and peace be multiplied to you…His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness."
In essence, grace is the divine power that enables us to go beyond our natural ability. But it requires us to rest in it, to learn it, and to let it influence and shape our heart.
The Apostle Peter continues and then tells us in verse 4, “by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature." (2 Peter 1:4) This means grace has given us the fullness of the essential qualities and character of Jesus himself. That’s power!
As we embark on this holiday season and you sense yourself becoming Martha, “worrying and upset about many things,” know that your margin is being infringed upon at that moment. That’s when you have crossed a line and may not be in the rhythm of Sabbath. In the moment, find an opportunity to stop, rest, get refueled and remember the true source of power comes by retreating to him, watching and learning.
I was reading the story of Martha and Mary, the two sisters of Lazarus (Luke 10:38-42), and was reminded of a very troubling verse. “‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’”
My default setting is Martha, and I am not a very good Mary. How do I know when the line is crossed and I’m out of balance? It’s when I begin to “worry and get upset about many things” (trivial, non-essential things). Jesus says, “Only one thing is needed…and it’s better.” What is it? The heart of Mary, who rested in His presence.
Dr. Richard Swenson is a physician and a futurist, who wrote a 1990’s book entitled, “Margin.” He describes modern society as harried, hassled, and overloaded with no room left for rest. He identified America as being “drowsy” and the “age of depressed anxiety.” He says, “Overload is not having time to finish the book you’re reading on stress. Margin is having time to read it twice. Overload is fatigue. Margin is energy. Overload is red ink. Margin is black ink. Overload is hurry. Margin is calm. Overload is anxiety. Margin is security. Overload is a disease of our day. Margin is the cure.”
One could argue margin is Mary, overload is Martha. How do we find margin? How do we find “divine proportion” that creates the space we need to think, reflect, breathe, recharge and operate at our best? How do we avoid margin erosion?
Coffee! That’s been my answer! Just drink more coffee, stay up later and “get ‘er done.” In fact, according to a recent Travel Oregon article there are 80 coffee roasters in Portland alone! Even Vancouver is becoming a small coffee mecca. There must be a better solution than coffee… Thankfully there is.
God’s ideal for emotional, physical and spiritual well-being is the practice of the lost art of the Sabbath. In fact, the Sabbath was given as a principle of moral behavior in the 4th commandment. (Deut. 5)
The Hebrew word for Sabbath is Shabbat, which literally means "to cease,” to “stop and rest.” Diana Ross and the Supremes sing it best, “Stop! In the name of love. Before you break my heart.” Without stopping, you will break.
God himself modeled the example during creation. Genesis 2:1-2 says, “Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all his work.”
Think about this: creation's climatic culmination is that of stopping. God is not resting because He was tired or needs to, but He models an example for us. God stopped to show us that what we create becomes meaningful to us only once we stop creating it and start to think about why we did. GOD stops, looks at creation, and says, “It is good!”
God’s message is plain: “If creation didn’t crash when I rested, it won’t crash when you do.” Jesus, while on earth, also modeled this for us. He would often separate himself from others in a private place for a period of time. He took moments to disconnect from the things of this world in order to reconnect intimately with God.
Unquestionably, most of us know the value of rest and sabbath, yet our problem is what do we do during this rest? Many just sit and watch sports or binge-watch shows. Others spend time scrolling aimlessly on social media. Many spend time with family and friends or go on walks, while others frequent the aforementioned 80+ coffee houses. Those things all have value, as we do just need mindless activities from time to time.
Yet, I would suggest the real answer of what to do with your sabbath comes to us in the form of an invitation. The invitation is from Jesus in Matthew 11. I love how the Message paraphrases this passage, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
Three words stick out to me: Come, watch and learn.
To the tired, worn out and burned-out, Jesus says, “Come.” The invitation is open to all. This is more than just an academic exercise or a mental ascent. It’s a call for priority, commitment, dedication and surrender. Many things call us to “come,” but not all those things are healthy. Only one thing is needed: a healthy renewal of our tired souls by coming to the great physician who gives us the prescription for abundant life.
Jesus then says, “Watch how I do it.” In a world full of influencers, who is influencing you? Whose voice do you trust and follow amidst the cacophony of so many voices? Repeatedly, throughout the ministry of Jesus he would invite people to “follow Him.” The invitation was to come and see, come and watch, come and imitate. Ephesians 5:1 says, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” The NIV translates it as, “Follow God’s example” and the Message says, “Watch what God does, and then you do it.” The Greek term for "imitate," is the root of our English word, "mimic." In other words, become a person who copies the words and behaviors of Jesus. In ancient times, students were expected to imitate their teachers as part of their training. This may be heresy but I would say it this way, “Jesus is our chief influencer.”
Finally, to the troubled mind, Jesus says, “Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.” (What a great line). Learning is a process. It takes time, effort and commitment. Yet, grace is unforced, meaning grace will flow naturally when we “come” and “watch” (imitate) the example of Jesus. Therefore, grace is not a burden, rather a delight. When Jesus spoke of “the unforced rhythms of grace,” He means that there is an ease and enjoyment when you walk in His grace. This is in contrast to the struggle and strain found in self-effort that we are sold on every day by our culture. Everything around us tells us to do more, to try harder, to get ahead and stay ahead.
Jesus says, Stop. Rest. Let grace empower you to live an effective and glorious life. In fact, Jesus said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
John Piper said it this way, “Grace is Power, not just pardon!” It is God acting generously and powerfully to do for us what we cannot do ourselves.
The Apostle Peter would define it this way, “May grace and peace be multiplied to you…His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness."
In essence, grace is the divine power that enables us to go beyond our natural ability. But it requires us to rest in it, to learn it, and to let it influence and shape our heart.
The Apostle Peter continues and then tells us in verse 4, “by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature." (2 Peter 1:4) This means grace has given us the fullness of the essential qualities and character of Jesus himself. That’s power!
As we embark on this holiday season and you sense yourself becoming Martha, “worrying and upset about many things,” know that your margin is being infringed upon at that moment. That’s when you have crossed a line and may not be in the rhythm of Sabbath. In the moment, find an opportunity to stop, rest, get refueled and remember the true source of power comes by retreating to him, watching and learning.
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5 Comments
Thank you for this rich and timely message, Adrian!
This was a much needed read. Thanks, PA!
Thank you for this timeless reminder of peace with grace
n
Thank you Pastor Adrian for an important piece supporting change in how we view time and responsibilities. We often use the hard tasks we are charged with to avoid the bigger challenges of real connection, or more importantly, true self-examination. We are so busy keeping busy, that we fail to embrace what is offered in quiet moments with our Lord. I appreciate your reminder of the importance of how we use our “downtime “.
Thank you for the reminder. Appreciate you, PA.