How To Stop Glorifying Busy And Start Resting Well

Hustle is a terrible god, and it always demands more. We’ve both lived the kind of pace where the only “rest” we get is collapsing at the end of the day, brain fried, running on fumes, and still trying to push through one more message, one more task, one more obligation. That isn’t recovery, it’s depletion, and it spills into our faith, our families, and our ability to think clearly.

We dig into a simple but convicting truth: Jesus took breaks. Over and over, he steps away from crowds and pressure to be alone with the Father. If we say we want to hear God, but we never create silence, solitude, or margin, where would that voice land? We also talk about why our culture glorifies being “so busy,” how much of our chaos is self-induced, and how guilt can keep us moving even when our bodies and minds are begging for a reset.

Along the way, we connect the dots between Scripture and real life: Elijah hears God in a small, still, quiet voice, not in the noise. We use everyday examples like rushing through meals, the chaos of constant connection, and even the peace that shows up when you finally get away from the ramp and out on the water. The goal is not a perfect schedule. The goal is intentional living: five minutes of quiet that becomes ten, then thirty, plus practical boundaries like putting the phone away so you can actually be present.

If you’re ready for Christian rest, Sabbath rhythms, and a better work-life balance that protects your soul, hit play, then share this with a friend who’s burned out. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: what’s one small change you can make this week to slow down and listen?

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Transcript

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Back To Routine And Burnout

Josh 0:22

Hello, and welcome to another episode of Practically Christian Podcast. Back again. I know there was a month break. Um, that's because we tried to do as best we could a summer break. We failed. Yeah, it didn't work out. Uh, we were at work almost every day. Um we're really bad about going, hey, we need a break. Time time's up. Yep. Over. Wow. Snap back to react. Uh-huh. You didn't even know where that was going. But it is, it's that time of year, right? You know, school's back in session. Uh I know not everybody out there is a teacher. I know you've been working all summer, but I'm sure your summer routine looks different than school's back in session routine. Maybe some more time at the beach or like spending time barbecuing or whatever. You know, maybe, yeah, maybe you do kind of like cut back a little during summer. Right. Um, but you're starting now going, okay, now we're back into this routine. We're back into this daily grind and we're we're we're pushing forward and all of the things. Um, and yeah, it's an area I don't know. I know I I know we're not the only people just because I do talk to other people who struggle with understanding, like, you need breaks. Literally, like it is imperative for your health, your mental well-being. And and for those of you, okay, and I know this is our second take, but you can still act surprised. For those of you that don't know, Jesus took breaks. He did take breaks. So, how it would work about ten times throughout the New Testament, what we would see is uh like Jesus would do something, he would do a miracle, he would preach a sermon, he would whatever, and then he would go to a desolate place to be by himself. Right. And and I go, how many of us listening, you have a desolate place that you're gonna be able to do. That's you go to go rest, right? Probably not many. Yeah, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say you rest at the very end of the day, like that last year. But that's I don't think that's rest. I think that's uh I'm crashing out, I literally have nothing left to give at all. Yeah. I agree with you. I mean I when I'm laying in bed and the TV's on and you know, the day is over. JT's walking in the studio. You don't have to be quiet. We can let people know. You know, and the day is over and all of the things. I agree with you. I don't think that's rest. I don't I I I literally just think that's your brain going, I'm done. I literally cannot, yeah. Your brain's going, I cannot function anymore. There's not one more thing that I'm capable of. I mean, there are times that you and I have been in conversations about like not even like bad things, but like big things, like serious, and I'm like, I I literally can't even process the words you're saying. There you go. Sorry, see how much more fool that sounds? I can't process the words you're saying, and I know it's an important conversation, but I'm completely

Jesus Chose Desolate Places

Josh 3:10

depleted and have nothing to add to this very important conversation. Yeah, so as we look at God in the wild, right? Like, don't get it mixed up with wilderness, right? You know, where Jesus went for his temptations. It is more sitting here going, no, like Jesus chose to go, no, I'm gonna go be by myself. I I need to be alone with the Father. I need to, you know, because a lot of us like you want to hear what God has to say. Absolutely. Like I'm going on a limb and going, if you're listening to a a podcast called Practically Christian, you're you're sitting here going, Hey, like, I want to know what God has to say to me.

SPEAKER_03 3:46

Right.

Josh 3:46

And and and a lot of times I think we're sitting here going, like, you know, oh, God doesn't say anything. And it's not that God doesn't say anything. Do you do you have anywhere in your life where you can listen? Right. Uh you're too busy. You have too much going on. And I know a lot of people have a lot of things going on, whether you're an entrepreneur, a boss, a mom, a busy dad, whatever the case might be. Why would you put boss and mom next to each other? I didn't have a second thought about it. Yeah, that that that's what I was going. For those of you that couldn't hear that, JT was like, oh, because she's a boss mom. Nope. I cannot stand that whole thing. So subconsciously, that just went together for you? Boss and mom? JT saves. JT, don't leave now. Don't leave now. You can't start a fight and then go, I'm out. Alright. Uh-huh. Go save the day, son. So, but yeah, like, you know, yeah, you got all this stuff going on. You have these and let's be honest, like, I'm not trying to minimize anyone's stuff. No. I do sit here though and go, how many of us make time to get away? I think we live in a society where there's a glorification of busy. Oh, I'm so busy. Oh, I got so much going on. And I think people that's like their heart cry. Like they're like, look how busy I am. Even though it's killing them. It's something to hold on to. Because Americans, on average, only take two to two and a half days of vacation a year. That's terrible. Absolutely terrible. And I go, and how much in your life are you like legit busy? And how much of it is like self-induced busy? That you're going, I'm not going to put this down. I know for me, most of it is self-induced. That's true. Like, if I'm honest. Like when I when I stop and I look look at it, but it but again I can't stop and look at it because I'm always trying to keep myself busy.

SPEAKER_01 5:40

Yep.

Josh 5:41

You know, so so you can't even really stop and gain a new perspective. Right. Like again, you go back into Exodus. What does Moses say about work and labor? You know, six days or work and rest. Six days you shall labor, right? But on the seventh day you shall rest, right? Like that is the routine that like God didn't need to rest. He chose to give us a pattern to follow of rest. Right. And the problem is, is we we tend to be so busy because of a lot of different reasons. Like for some people, you're you're busy because you want to appear productive. Like I got called lazy by my dad quite often growing up. So so now I feel like super guilty if I'm just sitting at the house. Like I could be going and mowing the lawn. I could be, you know, fixing something. I could be, you know, making dinner. Like I mean, during So therefore, I can't be at the house and just not do anything. I even remember during COVID when Whoa, whoa, whoa, why are you dropping the C-word now? It was at the at the worst time. Um, and you were like, I gotta go mow the lawn. And you're like coughing, you can't breathe, but the lawn needed to be mowed, and you were like, I gotta do it. And I I was like, this is absolutely stupid and ridiculous. How you like me now, Dad? Like, you know, but I really like that. You know, but some yeah, for some of us it might be those childhood traumas. For some of us, like, you know, it's like, well, if I'm not moving forward, I'm moving backwards, you know, and we believe that. And I go, fishing. I came to the realization this week I fish way too fast. I never stop in one spot and thoroughly fish the spot. Right. I'll like hit the spot real quick. If I don't get any bumps or bites, like that's it, I'm off to the next one. You know, and and it's like, all right, let's go. Like, let's go, let's go, let's go. Yep. And that and that's that's my like war cry. Go ahead and talk tell them about when we used to go out to dinner. Go ahead, tell them about tell them by the gun line, boss. Shut up. What? And you were done eating. Because everything was like no go. What do you mean used to? Oh, now I maybe I just don't care anymore. Do you want do you want me to hand JT the mic? About what you do. JT can explain to come here, JT.

Why We Stay Self-Induced Busy

Josh 7:56

Just talking to the front. How d how does it work when daddy's done eating dinner?

SPEAKER_03 8:01

Everyone's done. Everyone is done. But is everyone always done? No one else is done.

Josh 8:07

But everyone's done.

SPEAKER_03 8:08

In his eyes, everyone else is done.

Josh 8:10

Literally, he's gotten up in the middle of all this eating. Dinner's done. Let's go. And he's got his bag on him, and you know, he's like, Because like in the army, you got that you got four minutes. Like, eat, eat it now, taste it later. But when you came back from the army, I remember going, Who is taking your food from you? Nobody's gonna take your food. I don't know that. Slow down. I don't know. But okay, in my defense, I also grew up in a big family. So with big brothers. Yeah. So like literally. Like a little big brother. Yeah. Like, so if you didn't get that slice of pea, like, you know, you had to throw it down, or you might not get as much as you wanted to eat. Wow. Talk about a scarcity mindset. That's terrible. And it uh no, it was not a scarcity mindset. Like we had plenty of food. But no, but you're like, I gotta get the last one. Yeah, yeah. No, it's a self-induced scarcity mindset. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, then be we became super poor, and then you really had a scarcity mindset. It's a whole different podcast. But again, it's it's sitting here going, okay, Jesus himself would go to desolate places to be one-on-one with the father to hear what the father had to say. How many of us make time in our schedule to do that? Right. How many of us like are purposely going, hey, because like even if you think about like the story of Elijah, right? You know, he he goes up against the 450 prophets of Baal, he beats him.

SPEAKER_01 9:23

Right.

Josh 9:23

Jezebel gets mad because you know, you called out her false gods, she threatens to kill him, he runs off, he hides in a cave.

SPEAKER_03 9:29

Right.

Josh 9:29

Right. And in the cave, he's like, God, just take my life. Right. Like I I can't deal with this anymore. I can't keep like, like, just just kill me now, God. And and then there's a great wind, and Elijah goes out, and there, you know, but God wasn't in the wind. And then there's a great earthquake, and he goes out, and but God wasn't in the earthquake. Right. And then it goes on and it says, and in a small, still, quiet voice. See, that's the thing. God isn't rushed by our hurry. Right. And let's go. I need this. Yeah, we serve an eternal God who is not sitting here bounding, right? Our timeline. Right. Yep. And I go, and I think, like, going back to the fishing, right? I think that's the same thing. Like, the fish aren't hurried. Like, they're they're not in a hurry. They're they're gonna do what they're gonna do. I am in a hurry, and because I am in a hurry, how many fish am I missing? Because I'm not gonna take you're not waiting five minutes of my, you know, even when we went to the beach the other day, right? Like, you know, I I ate my food as fast as I could so I could go fish. Like Yes, you inhaled it. If I'd have waited, you know, if I would have just enjoyed the food and then waited an extra six, seven minutes. But you and I have talked about that going. JT enjoyed that. But how many times, like throughout our 25 years together, I've been like, you're going to miss this moment, like, and you're like, nope, we gotta go, we gotta go, we gotta go. On to the next one. Right. Here's another one. Oh my god. And another one. Don't bob your head, JT. He doesn't need your encouragement. But I go, but that's what it is. Like, again, if you if you're sitting here and you're going, hold on, I got this better than the son of man. I got it all figured out. Yeah. I mean, think about a boat ramp. Because for me, in case you haven't pieced it together in this episode yet. Josh loves fishing. I do happen to spend a lot of time on the water. Well, not a lot. Not I mean, relatively speaking, right? I mean, I I do have a job. I do, you know, I do a pastor. I am a pastor. Yeah, you're working 60, 70 hours a week. Right. But in any free time, yes, I do try to make it to the water as often as I can. Yes. My goal is always at least once a week. You mentioned the two days a week, right? What? What two days a week? Did you what did you did you talk about? My brain is fried. See? My brain is fried right now. Um how Americans don't take any time. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. We talked about that. But like Y'all see what I'm working with, right? Right. Yeah, no. I'm ru I'm running on fumes sometime a lot of times. Well, today has been hectic. America runs on Dunkin'. Um I mean, you just cut me off. I did. And I had something good to say. Anyway, keep going. I digress. Okay. There's 30 seconds of y'all's lives, you'll never get back. You'll never get back. But like it's seriously, like, but the one thing and and what does make fishing a little harder for me is I won't go on Saturday or Sunday. Like, especially if I'm taking the boat out. It's one thing to go to the beach or you know, go like shorefish somewhere, but like definitely not taking the boat out. I mean there there could be times where, you know, at a boat ramp, if you've never been there on a Saturday or a Sunday, I mean, there it it's pure chaos. Engines reviving, people yelling, fights breaking out, trucks backing up. I mean, it's loud, it's stressful, like you know, people are yelling behind you because you're not going fast enough, you know. And it's funny. People are yelling in front of you because you can't hurry them. Right. They're going on a break on the water and they're fighting like cats and dogs. It's now YouTube shows. Yes, it is. But can I finish what I was gonna say? Yes, sorry. Because I was just giving that as a euphemism because that's how most of us live our lives. Like, our lives are just crazy and chaotic. And that's the word I've heard a lot of people say lately. I just feel like everything's chaotic. No, chaotic specifically. Oh, a hundred percent. Yeah. A hundred percent. And and again, you know, you control freaks out there. What are you doing? Like y'all ain't in control of nothing. Like we're both pointing at you. Like, I don't care.

God Speaks In Quiet Not Hurry

Josh 13:46

But I go, like, it just seemed like okay, okay, hold on. So we're pointing at me. Debbie, what time did you go to bed? What was that, Thursday? Yeah, Thursday. Go ahead. No, not Thursday. It was Wednesday. Because Thursday we went to Sebastian. 7 30. So you want to tell me I can't bring control into the chaos here? Absolutely. I mean, in bed, water fed, bathed like in bed by 7 30. Come on now. What the heck? You what did you say, JT? It's kind of what it sounded like, right? Look.

unknown 14:25

What the heck?

Josh 14:26

This is what I'm talking about right here. But I didn't remember. But it's sitting, it is stopping, pulling back and going, hold on, hold on. This is not working. Because I was so exhausted at that point, I looked the next day at the messages I sent to parents, the Facebook posts I put up for the school. I had one, I didn't remember everything I posted. Two, remember, I was like, Oh, there's so much bad spelling on here. I Yeah, and it's not a good look for the school when you're sending out things with like typos on it. Words that are I don't even know how I misspelled some of those words, but I was just like running on empty. And yeah, you did look at me and go, you need to go to bed. And and get out of here. Debbie does not operate well if she's not fully rested. But that's what I mean. Like sometimes you gotta hit the reset button. You know, sometimes you have to be able to stop and go, hold on, let's take inventory here. Let's look at this. Are we busy for the sake of being busy? Right. Are we busy because it's just a busy time in our lives right now? Which right. Or are we busy just because we're too lazy to actually go, hey, let's get a plan together. Let's get some order and organization. And I talked to, I mean, I do I we talk to people a lot about that. They're like make a plan, get a notebook, write stuff down, like put stuff on the refrigerator, use your calendar, use your notes. So there's a saying that's called stop and smell the roses. Where are the roses? Out in where the grass. Outside, right? Yes. Go outside. Yeah. Like, when did we stop just putting a blanket out in the front yard, laying on it, and going, hey, let's let's talk about what the clouds look like. Well, I remember doing that when they were little. Look, see, look, you even remember that, don't you, JT? But you know you know what I mean? Yeah like why do we stop that? I'm telling y'all, like, JT makes fun of me a lot. And I wish he You know, hang on. Debbie, keep talking to people for a second. I'm gonna get JT hooked up once. Oh boy. I don't even know what to say to people. I was very much embarrassed. Josh is getting all mic'd up because he's got something to say. Alright, can everyone hear? Yeah. You can hear me? Yeah. I sound loud enough. Loud enough. JT here, take your drink back because I don't know why it was on my desk to begin with. Alright, and JT's JT's there too. Yeah. Talking to the front of the mic, bud. Hello? Yep. Alright. Y'all see how quick I can do this? Here's how JT makes fun of me. Granted, I know we are on mics right now, so you're not going to be able to see his face, but JT, what face do I make when I look at water? Hold on. Oh, oh, oh, hold on. Why why are we laughing at now? What faces he make? I took a picture of it. You know why?

SPEAKER_03 17:14

Just the the bottom jaw just like drops just barely.

Josh 17:20

Do I talk a lot? No. No, because you know why? I'm sitting here going, I'm at peace right now. Everything is quiet. Like, because understand, like when you leave the boat dog, yes, it's terribly chaotic at the boat dog. But once you get out of that, you know, no wake zone, you get out of the flat by yourself, man, it's just calm, serenity. You can be at peace. That's how some of y'all like that's what you're missing in your life. I think I I well not I think I know I fought a lot against like being on the water and out in the boat, like I did. I think I just inst because I I'm not a calm person, like I'm not really I thought you were the most chill person in our family, but that's a whole nother story. Whatever. Um anywho, but once I started really paying attention to how I felt around the water, I was like, oh, this is amazing. Now her face is a very good thing. Especially when we go to the West Coast.

SPEAKER_03 18:22

Hold on, hold on. What what'd you say? Now her face does the thing.

Josh 18:28

I'm putting that picture up that you I'm I'm putting that up to show people. JT's face did the same thing when we were down in Sebastian.

SPEAKER_03 18:36

It's awesome.

Josh 18:38

But it's the same thing. Like it it it and again, this isn't just a 25-minute pitch to hey, go fish, but if you really want to, I mean Mission Sent Outdoors does take people. Yep, that's true. You are more than welcome to come with us. But again, it's it's having that thing. You know, I've been telling Debbie for uh what a couple of years now. Like you gotta have that thing that you can do on a Tuesday night. Not not necessarily like we all have big things, right? Like Debbie loves starting her day out at the gym. You know, JT loves his computer. Well, I guess you could do that on Tuesday night now that I think about it.

SPEAKER_03 19:14

I I love Sebastian.

Josh 19:17

But again, that's a two and a half hour trip. Like, that's not gonna

Build Rest Into Real Life

Josh 19:20

be, hey, just a random Tuesday, let's let's head out. We got work in the morning. We have to have those things that we can do during the middle of the week. Because here's the thing we live in a world where we are connected at all times. Yep. I was just talking to someone the other day about um, you know, cell phones, and and I was like, I do. I miss the days where we didn't have cell phones. Like there was an extra danger when you went out on the boat. Because if something broke, right, I mean, you you're figuring it out. You know, you're not just like, oh, let me call CETO and or you know, someone else I know with a boat or whatever the case. You were hoping somebody would float by and be like, Yeah. Like you're you're you're or or how many times have I had to walk back to the dock? You know, you're you're you have to figure it out. And I and I go, but on the same hand, man, you there was no hustle and bustle and and all of that. You it was more common relaxed, like your parents would get home, yeah, somebody was cooking dinner, um, and then but the you couldn't just connect either. Right. So you couldn't just make use you weren't distracted to not do and look at the civil the the civilization, the society we live in now. The civility of the society we live in now. Well, I mean, just you everywhere you go, you carry a tracker, you carry a phone, you're you're constantly getting text messages or alerts for whatever social media things, you know. Right. You live in a world like you're you remember what it was like to have to sit there and go, Oh, we've got to wait till next Friday to find out what happens with Urkel. Right. Like you you know what I mean? Like now it's like we can watch your binging a whole season in two days. I watch Netflix up Netflix episodes Netflix episodes of their little mini uh, you know, whatever shows that they do. They come in eight series eight eight episodes. I can't even speak straight. Jeez. Um, but uh it'll take me three days. Uh I'll get up at four o'clock in the morning, watch my shows, get ready for the gym, and I've already had one or two episodes in before the day even starts. Right, and that and that really is the bottom line is is sitting here going if Jesus went in the wild to be by himself, if Jesus got rid of distractions, if Jesus went, hey, I need to rest, if Jesus went, hey, I got hungry, why do you think you're stronger? Right. No, I agree. What do you think, JT? What's a good way to rest? Sleep. I think it's like okay. Naps are good. I like a good nap. I do like a good nap. JT was JT was older though before he decided. Nabs are fun. Yeah. I hated it. When you were little. I hated it. Now?

SPEAKER_03 22:00

Not as much.

Josh 22:01

It's like I c I kinda like this. But I go, you know, and and maybe it is naps, maybe maybe it's the boat, maybe it's the beach, maybe it's walking a trail, maybe it's cooking, maybe I don't I don't know, like but it's being intentional about it. And I think that's what most people miss. They s they shoe shoehorn in like little moments instead of going, let me plan, organize, and then execute this few days that we can get together. Which we we've worked better at that time. You do need vacations like that, yeah, 100%. But you need during the But I was talking about like just your daily routine too. Right. Like you have to be intentional about it because if you're not, something else is going to pop up. Something always pops up. You know, something else is gonna break, something else is like like there's always going to be something to do. But even like during the week, like you've said before, put your phone away. Let everyone put their phone away and don't, don't and I've had a really hard time with that, with everything that I do. Like now I purposely leave my phone in my room and take my watch off. Because I know if I have it next to me, I'm gonna in because there's so many different apps that I have, and you know, people reaching out for different things, and so I do put it away and take my watch off because then I can just get lost in whatever moment we're having as a family because I'm not constantly checking my phone. Yeah, and if you want it to be less chaotic, here here's how that happens. Be intentional with it. You have to do it on purpose. You have to sit down and go, how can I do this less chaotically? And I'm not saying don't I'm not saying financially harm your family, but if there's a mo a thing that you can not do to spend more time as a family, don't like reject that thing and spend the time with your family. Oh, 100%. We've learned that over time. And well, I mean, yeah, but we even chose to take a financial hit to do that. We did, yeah. You know, and and I go in sometimes that might be what you have to do. Yep. Sacrifice at the end of the day, you drop dead, you you do know your boss is just hiring someone else, right? And if you're the boss, you do know your employees are just gonna go somewhere else, right?

SPEAKER_03 24:08

Especially my bosses.

Decide What Your Life Means

Josh 24:10

Are you thinking about if we drop dead? If I drop dead, we're just gonna replace you. You're irreplaceable, my baby.

SPEAKER_03 24:22

That's not true, it was a joke.

Josh 24:25

JT got uncomfortable. What's not true that you're irreplaceable? That was a joke. That's messed up, mom. Never. But again, like the world was spinning before you got here, the world's gonna spin after you're not here. Yep. And you know, and it's sitting here going, what do you want to make of it? Right. What do you want it to look like? Step back, have a plan and go, this is what I want my life to look like. You've always talked about like at your funeral, do you want people to talk about how much of a hard worker you were? Right. Or like the memories your family's had of you and like time you spent together. That goes back to take you know what? Like, if you're sitting here going, I don't even know where to start. Here, here's the deal. Go by seven habits of highly effective people. If you have a teenager, seven habits of it. I will tell you right now, I know that's like the book Debbie recommends, but our teens did not get into that. Our kids did we use the seven habits habits of highly effective people with them. The teens one that's not. That's what I was saying. I'm talking about like, again, you're sitting here going, hey, I struggle. Go get seven habits of highly effective people, work through it. I'm not saying it's an end-all, I'm not saying it's gonna answer every question, but it's going to at least put some framework down for you to go, hold on. Am I struggling to climb the ladder on the wrong wall? Right. Because that that's a really big thing. Who do I want people to say at my funeral? Like, you know, it it's gonna help you reframe some of that because sometimes we make emergencies and and God's sitting here going, nope, put that down. I got it.

unknown 25:57

Yep.

Josh 25:58

So until next week, or not next week, but next time. Next time. Here's your challenge. Carve out time. Start with five minutes a day. Yeah, up it to ten minutes a day, jump it up to half an hour a day. Right. Find a book. If you don't know what book to read, pick up the Bible, pick up seven habits of highly effective people. Like, reach out. I'll I'll give you recommendations if you need something else. You could take pictures of the books that you have and put them up and go, these are the books I was talking about. Just as recommendations. You have cut me off like 15 times. I have sorry. Try to be more like me. Find a new hobby. If you don't have one, reach out to Mission Sent Outdoors. We got an archery uh event coming up in a couple of weeks. I'll take you out fishing, like whatever it is you need to do. But understand, if Jesus went to the wild, it might not be a bad idea for you to do it too. So until the next episode, make sure you share, make sure you like, make sure you comment, make sure you review, make sure you subscribe. There's a lot of things you need to do. We love you, we thank you, and we can't do this without you. Bye, guys. No bye, JT. Bye.