Life Giving Rhythms
- Ruth Esau
- Sep 1
- 4 min read
The Rhythms of Public and Private Life
This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. It began just as the prophet Isaiah had written: “Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way. He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!’”
This messenger was John the Baptist. He was in the 80
wilderness and preached that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. All of Judea, including all the people of Jerusalem, went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. His clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey.
John announced: “Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!”
One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.” (Mark 1:1–11)13
13 See also Mark 1:35–39, Mark 3:13–19, Mark 6:30–44, Mark 6:45–55, Mark 8:27–30, Mark 9:1–13, Mark 9:30–32, Mark 10:32–34, and Mark 14:32–42.
So many times as leaders we fall into the trap of thinking we need to live a balanced life. The book of Mark is rich in stories that show Jesus choosing to go to a more private place to think and pray. Other passages tell of His need to move away from the large crowds and people who followed Him. And other times He just chose to hang out with His trusted ones. 81
Perhaps in your leadership role you can relate to feeling that sort of “people pressure” and wanting to go off and close your door for a moment of peace.
Perhaps you’ve believed the myth that leaders have all the answers, or should have all the answers, and know how to balance it all. Jesus knew that to accomplish His Father’s purposes, He had to stay focused and follow the rhythms that His Father gave right from the beginning of creation.
When I come to a place of being overwhelmed, weary, and stressed, I ask myself, What rhythm do I need to embrace in this moment? Once those moments have passed, I ask, What changes do I need to make in my rhythms of life?
We often carry a God complex, needing to have it all together, but in retrospect this isn’t the way Jesus ever lived, and He was capable of so much more than we are. We get into the headspace of thinking we’re the only ones who can get things done, and pretty soon we feel overwhelmed. Deadlines, wanting clarity of mind, doing things right, not letting anyone down… all of these can lead us to a skewed perspective.
As I write these thoughts, I can feel the tightening of my stomach, my shoulders rising, and the fine edge of nausea I feel as I inch closer to the deadline for having to submit my strategic plans and budget for all my areas of responsibility.
While acting out of this slow-rising stress one year, a dear colleague said to me, “Who do you think you are? God?” Ouch. That stung. After all, I was only trying to get everything done, and the pressure was high.
This comment stopped me in my tracks and made me realize that I needed to step back and regroup. Quite honestly, out of my stress I wanted to hit back, yet the comment was so soul-striking that I stopped.
1. How would you describe the pace of your life in terms of what’s going well and what feels overwhelming?
2. What in this situation is yours to own and deal with?
3. In what area(s) are you taking on responsibility that isn’t yours?
4. Analyze how you allot your time and energy. For a month, track how you use your time and create categories. A simple categorization could be: 5. What fills you up? What energizes you?
I don’t think of that story often, but when I do I use it to conduct a self-check. What aspects of any given situation are my responsibility? Am I taking responsibility that right belongs to God or someone else? What will I do about that?
I call this “right-sizing” my life.
Our responsibility as leaders is to revisit and reflect on how God has created us, how He has called us and what we are equipped to do. These times of reflection allow us to step away from the daily demands and meet Him where He is waiting for us with challenge, encouragement, and inspiration. He made us. He knows us. He has called us by name.
Trust Him in the quiet to carry you through the chaos.
Kaleidoscope Reflections
Name the situation.
What part of it is your responsibility?
What responsibilities do you need to ask others to complete?
Together, how will you accomplish what needs to be done?
What fills you up? What reenergizes you?
Now what? Create a simple plan to maximize your time, responsibilities, and energy rhythms. This can serve as a pattern for you when times are overwhelming.
From: Shifting Perspectives, Viewing Jesus Through A Leadership Lens; Ruth Esau
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