“And great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities. And he withdrew himself into the wilderness and prayed.” Luke 5:15,16

Lately I’ve become aware of the many places throughout the gospels that say Jesus withdrew himself to pray. In the verse above, Jesus was faced with crowds of people who desired something that only He could give them. In various ways, they needed Him to serve them.

And His response? He withdrew Himself… and prayed.

He knew the work was great. It didn’t go away. But He knew it would never be finished as long as time continues… and He also knew He could not effectively do His Father’s work unless He regularly communicated with His Father.

Jesus set a beautiful example for us in His act of quietly stepping back from the work for a time of rest and prayer. As human beings, we will wear out if we don’t occasionally pause in our work to spend time caring for our physical and spiritual needs.

Sometimes it seems like the work will never end, and truly, if we’re dedicated workers for the Kingdom of God, there will be work as long as we live.

Some days the mountain of need looks overwhelming. But Christ doesn’t ask us to climb His mountains of service alone. In fact, He calls us by His own perfect example to rest.

To step back, to pray, to ask Him what to do next, and how… instead of continuing in a blind frenzy until we burn out.

Listen to the needs of your soul and body. Take a rest. Pray. When you are rejuvenated, the work will still be there. Then rise up and continue serving where He calls you!