Psalm 46:10: Be still and know that I am God.
Mark 6:31: Then Jesus suggested, "Let's get away from the crowds for a while and rest.”
A quick review: We have previously explored
the simple but life changing truths that our immeasurable value rests solely in the fact that God created us,
that His stubborn love sets us apart and that He designed and empowers a unique
plan for each one of us.
Successful
woman in ministry recognize the value of rest. Stop laughing! I know exactly what you are
thinking, “Rest - never heard of it. What
is it and where do I go to find it?” Women in ministry constantly amaze me as
they juggle the relentless demands of their calling, family, marriage, church,
relationships, health, time, energy, finances, and just plain life! Life is so….daily! For many years I evaluated my personal worth
on the basis of how successful I was in ministry. And how successful I was in ministry was
determined by how busy I stayed – ministering!
When my son was ten years old absolutely everyone in Jered’s life knew exactly
what he wanted for Christmas - a remote control car. After months of calculated but prudently
dropped hints, we found the coveted car, bought it, wrapped it and placed it
under the Christmas tree. I even remembered to install batteries so that it would
be ready to go on Christmas morning. I
will never forget the look on Jered’s face as he tore through the wrapping
paper and saw “the car”. Leaping to his
feet, Jered threw his thankful arms around us and headed outside to play. For a few moments, Dan and I basked in the
warmth of a parenting job well done, and then headed outside to join the fun. There in the middle of the driveway stood
Jered, watching his brand new car sputtering slowly in circles. I – could – not – believe - it! Upset at the prospect of having to return the
car and more importantly, anticipating my son’s disappointment, I spewed anger and
sputtered frustration like an erupting volcano. “This is ridiculous! It took weeks to find this car! It is hardly out of the box and already broken!” My wise and patient son stopped me in
mid-sputter, “Mom, don’t worry. The instructions say that when the batteries
are low, the car will sputter and go in circles. We just need new batteries."
And so it is with life.
When our spiritual batteries are low, life dissolves into frustration,
burnout and wasted effort.
Psalm 46:10 Be still
and know that I am God.
While this verse implies that we cannot know God on the run
it also implies that when we are still
we will know Him! God Himself demonstrates this truth that rest
is not an option but a necessity.
Exodus 31:17 For in
six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day
He rested and was refreshed.
Mark 6: 31 Then Jesus suggested,
"Let's get away from the crowds for a while and rest.
Did God need to rest? No! But did God choose to rest? Yes – and deemed those personal times of regular solitude and rest important enough to record in His Word. Why? I believe He wanted to emphasize and model the importance of rest. We live in jars of clay, bound by physical laws. The reality is that there are consequences when we break those laws. We have bought the “smells – like - smoke” lie that because we are in ministry, we have the option of giving our heart to Jesus but keeping our body for ourselves. The rules for sleep, exercise, diet and rest simply do not apply to those of us serving God. We are above all that! Hmmm! Chalk one up for the enemy! Because if he can keep us busy doing good things, we will not only miss the highest plan God intended for us but we will eventually collapse under the burden of humanistic expectations and unfulfilled dreams. Operating in our limited human strength always results in spiritual bankruptcy and powerless ministry.
