Most of us live our lives at a frenetic pace and are constantly cramming ‘stuff’ into every available minute of the day.
Living like this it’s no wonder the only person to get everything done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe! This was never what God intended.
God wants us to be physically, emotionally, relationally and spiritually well. This means building times of rest into our busy schedules. God promises he will give us rest as we draw near to him. Jesus encourages those who are weary and feel weighed down with the burdens of life to come to him. He gives us rest for our souls (Matthew 11:28) and only he will truly satisfy.
Rest is his way of ensuring we enjoy him, others and the work has given us to do. When we are rested we are so much easier to be around – just ask family, friends or colleagues. Being rested gives us perspective and helps us to not miss the important things in life. Rest enables us to be fruitful and effective for him.
Annie and I are going to be putting this into practice as we enjoy a sabbatical away from the busyness of church life. It will be a time of recuperation and refreshment but also a time of preparation for all that God has ahead.
Let’s take heed of Robert Murray-M’Cheyne, the powerful C19th Scottish preacher, who on his death-bed aged 30, said, “God gave me a message to deliver and a horse to ride. Alas, I killed the horse, and now I cannot deliver the message.”
So as we move towards the summer months let’s ensure we have some good ‘down time’. For some this will involve enjoying time with family, friends and those people God brings into our lives. For others this may simply mean going for walks without our mobile phone, catching up on sleep or simply slowing down.
He is our source, our strength and peace. He is our comfort and knows all we need. Let’s allow God to recharge our batteries this summer.
Much grace,
Steve