From Worn Out to Refreshed: How to Escape the Weight of Hurry

Blog by Matt Fogle, Unhurried Living Associate

Have you ever woken up with a strange question on your mind? Just recently, I (Matt) woke up at two in the morning wondering, “Why did ancient Near Eastern fishermen have to dry out their nets?”

Perhaps you’re chuckling at that like I did. I tried going back to sleep, only to wake up again a half hour later with that same question on my mind.

For the record, I had never thought about this before. I had never heard anyone teach on it. I didn’t even know if fishermen actually did need to dry out their nets. But it turns out they do. So, I decided to ask perplexity.ai, which informed me of the following consequences if fishermen left their nets in the water all the time:

• The nets would grow bacteria that would carry diseases.
• The fibers that the nets were made from would start to fray and break.
• The nets would become unbearably heavy.

As I spent time praying through all this, I was drawn back to Matthew 11:28-30 and Jesus’s invitation to rest:

“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.” (The Message)

Like me, are you in a season where you could use a real rest?

When I had that thought during the night and then prayed the next morning, it was obvious that the Spirit was grabbing my attention.  I need to dry out my nets.

If we don’t learn to dry our nets, our lack of rest will affect those around us. Hurry sickness is contagious. If we’re doing the work of God anxiously, our anxiety will spread to the people we’re serving. 

If we don’t learn to dry out our nets, our lives will become frayed and we will burn out. We all have limits. We need sleep. We must have margin. And this won’t happen without fierce intentionality and accountability.

If we don’t learn to dry out our nets, our souls will become waterlogged and all our work will be heavy. The joy and wonder of being co-laborers with God will be lost.

Take a few minutes and prayerfully journal through this one question:

 Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, what does it look like to get my nets out of the water in this season?

Remember, just as ancient fishermen knew the importance of drying their nets to prevent disease, maintain their equipment, and lighten their load, we too need to regularly “dry out.” This isn’t just about personal refreshment; it’s about being better equipped to serve others and live out our calling. To bear fruit that lasts we must learn to rest.

As leaders, we have the opportunity to model this “real rest” for others. By creating a culture that values rest and renewal, we can help those around us experience the “unforced rhythms of grace” that Jesus promises.

So today I encourage you to get your net out of the water. Find your drying spots. Allow Jesus to show you what real rest looks like. It’s in this place of rest that we often find ourselves most ready for the work God has for us.