#29 - Jesus and I in Busy Times

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Welcome to Mind and Faith Matters. I'm the host,

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Dr. Cory Potter. Today we're talking about something

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that many of us face. There are those days, weeks,

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and even entire seasons when you feel like your

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life is so full that you can't hardly catch your

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breath. You may be working long hours, caring

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for family, or managing responsibilities that

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really never seem to end. Even when you're organized,

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the pace can feel relentless. And modern psychology

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tells us that when you cannot change your circumstances,

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the best thing you can do is relate them in different

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ways. So researchers at Stanford have found that

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people who reframe stressful seasons as opportunities

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to grow resilience experience lower stress and

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greater well -being. This is called cognitive

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reappraisal. It's all well and good, but sometimes

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it feels overwhelming. Another helpful approach

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is micro rest. Studies show that even small pauses

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such as taking those few deep breaths or a short

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walk or a quiet prayer can reset your body's

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stress response. These brief moments of slowing

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down during motion can keep the mind steady and

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the heart open. You know, value -based living

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also helps. This means when your schedule is

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packed, aligning your energy with what matters

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the most to you, it allows you to find meaning

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in the middle of it. People who focus on purpose

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over productivity report higher satisfaction,

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even in difficult seasons. And research reminds

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us that peace does not come from empty calendars.

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It really comes from connection. to values, to

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others, and for believers, to Christ. That is

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where John 15 provides a spiritual anchor. In

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John 15 verses 1 through 8, Jesus says, You are

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already clean because of the word I have spoken

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to you Remain in me as I also remain in you No

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branch can bear fruit by itself. It must remain

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in the vine Neither can you bear fruit unless

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you remain in me I am the vine you are the branches

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if you remain in me and I in you You will bear

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much fruit apart from me. You can do nothing

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If you do not remain in Me, you are like a branch

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that is thrown away and withers. Such branches

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are picked up, thrown into the fire, and burned.

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If you remain in Me and My words remain in you,

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ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for

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you. This is to My Father's glory, that you bear

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much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples.

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So this passage reframes productivity and pressure.

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Jesus does not say work harder and produce more.

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He says remain in me. The word remain means to

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dwell, to stay, to be at home with him. When

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life feels unmanageable, the call is not to push

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harder but to stay connected to the source of

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life. Busyness often makes us feel like a branch

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trying to bear fruit without the vine. We strive,

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we plan, and we feel every hour and then wonder

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why we feel spiritually dry. Jesus reminds us

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that pruning, even when it's uncomfortable, is

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part of the Father's care. Sometimes activities

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or opportunities are removed to help us bear

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fruit that lasts. This mirrors psychology. Peace

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comes from connection more than control. You

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find meaning when you anchor yourself to what

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truly matters. your relationship with God, your

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purpose, and the people you are called to love.

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So if you feel overwhelmed, take heart. You don't

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need to fix everything or empty your calendar

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before you can rest. Begin by returning to the

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vine and returning to Christ. When you wake,

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start your day with a short prayer. Pause for

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a few deep breaths and remember his presence.

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End your day by thanking him for the strength

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he provides. Each pause becomes an act of abiding

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in him. Each moment of awareness is a small root

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stretching deeper into his peace. Jesus said,

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if you remain in me and I in you, you will bear

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much fruit. That fruit shows up in patience,

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gentleness, clarity, and endurance. It shows

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up in how you treat people when you're tired.

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If your day feels too full, remember that the

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branch does not produce by effort. It produces

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through connection. The same is true for you.

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Remain in me, Jesus, and I will remain in you.

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That promise is enough for today. I want to tell

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you that I bring this quick little devotional

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message to you. After several days where I was

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thinking how can I enjoy some activities and

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be so stressed out during others and have this

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inconsistency in my life and then I reflected

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further and realized I'm always trying to be

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connected to Jesus. But sometimes I am cutting

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myself off and not remaining in him throughout

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those busy times. What I mean by that is it struck

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me yesterday morning on my way to work when I

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saw a sunrise that was so beautiful. I even was

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on the phone with my wife Sue and I told her,

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man, this is spectacular. It's so pretty and

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it just reminded me that God was with me. on

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my way into work and I have a great place that

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I work with great people and I have a lot of

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projects and I have felt maybe under peaceful

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and overwhelmed and I'm realizing that I'm not

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taking the same things that I just prescribed

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to you and so I need to take my own medicine

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sometimes but I also want to say that a fully

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balanced life means sometimes you have to say

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no, sometimes you do have to slow down. And even

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if you have these hectic days or a hectic pace,

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I know because I've studied it and I know because

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I've experienced it, but your sleep, your nutrition,

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and your rest really are critical. So, I have

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talked about the Sabbath and other episodes.

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I've talked about resting in Jesus and slowing

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down life. There are other episodes where I've

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talked about gratitude and just being thankful

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for what you have and thankful for Him. Those

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apply in this case, but when life is so hectic

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that you feel like your head is spinning. And

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it keeps on going like that. I promise you, you

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will not be disappointed in finding Him and reaching

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out to Him and getting deeper roots with Him.

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So if your days feel too full, like I said, remember

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the branch doesn't produce by effort. It produces

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through connection to Jesus. The same is true

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for you. Remain in Jesus and He will remain in

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you. The promise is enough for today. Thank you

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for being with me on Mind and Faith Matters.

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Until next time, stay rooted in your faith and

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mindful of Jesus' presence. God bless.