REST ON YOUR TIME
I’ll admit, probably the toughest thing for me to do is rest, and when I mean rest, I mean not spending an entire day sitting on the couch binge watching Netflix rest. Let’s be honest, can we really call that rest? No, I’m talking about refreshing, re-energizing rest. Do you know what that looks like for you? For me personally I think it’s hard to rest because my mind is constantly racing about things I need to do because I am horrible at organizing and scheduling things to get done. Because of that, when my days off come around
I find myself with my laptop open, punching keys, missing out on the life that is taking place around me, which right now consists of my wife being on 12 weeks maternity leave from work and a two month old baby girl that caused my wife be on that leave.
Recently my wife made it clear to me that I don’t really take a day off and she made it clear that it was bothering her because I wasn’t spending time with the family. As a person in full-time ministry, I don’t know that there ever really is a thing called “a day off”, but my wife’s frustration made me realize the importance of unplugging from work and resting from it.
Genesis 2:2, says that when God finished creating everything He looked at everything He had made and then He “rested”. What this should tell us is that the creator of the universe understood how important it was to rest. It was so important that He modeled it for us. The crazy part is He is God, He doesn’t need rest like we do and yet He still took it. How much more should we?
The question you have to answer, if you aren’t stepping into a time of rest is Why aren’t you resting?
For Americans, the lifestyle that is glorified is the busy lifestyle. In fact we tend to wear busyness like a badge of honor. You know what I’m talking about, it’s the moments when someone asks you “How are you doing?” Or “How’s life?” and you respond with “Oh, you know, just busy”. Yeah, I’m talking about that badge. My question for you is, are you really that busy all the time? If so then you really need to continue reading.
None of us should ever be so busy that we never find time to rest. To be always busy and never resting is a recipe designed for burnout, poor health, and wrecked marriages. But in a world that glorifies the lifestyle of busyness, how do you find time to rest? Well, you rest on your own time.
Here’s what I mean by that. I grew up under a senior pastor that once mentioned that he schedules everything. He schedules his meal times, he schedules how his work day is going to break down, he even schedules time for his family. Now while that last one might seem a little strange and lacking in authenticity, listen to why he does it. He said, “I schedule my time with my family because I want uninterrupted time with them. When I have someone that calls the office that wants to meet with me past 5pm I can tell them I have a meeting, which isn’t a lie because I do, my meeting is with my wife and kids.” For this pastor, a time of rest was as simple as scheduling it into his busy schedule.
There has never been anyone busier than God, and yet He still found the time to kick back. One of the most convicting statements I ever heard was someone ask the question “Are you so sinful that you won’t rest even when God called you to?” Sinful?!? It’s sinful to not rest? Well according to Exodus 20:8, God called His people to observe the Sabbath and keep it holy. Furthermore, to think your life is so busy that things would fall apart if you stopped to rest is very prideful, and pride is a sin. God had things under control long before you came around, and as long as you are a hard worker, diligent to accomplish the tasks entrusted to you in a timely manner, you can trust that God is still faithful to keep things spinning, even when you do rest as we have all been called to do. Another great statement I’ve heard when comes to rest is this: “We should all strive to work from rest not work for rest.”
So schedule in time to unplug. Shut off your email, set your phone to do not disturb, spend time with your family, go out on an adventure, read a book, try something new, go fishing and rest on your own time.
God Bless!