Rest? What is that? I am the mother of three small boys and one big husband! I don't know what rest is! Do you? I get up by 5am on the days I have to work my other 'real' job and do not stop until after the boys are in bed after 8pm. The time in between is filled with work, shuttling kids, homework, dinner, dishes, soccer, baths, stories, and a little play mixed in there. I find I live a lot of my life in a sheer state of exhaustion. Case in point, I couldn't find my coffee at work this morning. One of my co-workers pointed out to me that I had put it in the cabinet...again! Nope, not the first time I've done it!
Do you think God wants us to be this hurried and rushed? Or do you think He wants us to rest? I think there are two possible answers to these questions. I don't believe that He wants us to live such busy lives that we are leaving our coffee in cabinets. We spend all of our energy running after things on this earth instead of focusing on the things that really matter. Things like bible study, prayer, missions, or raising our kid's to love Him. I also don't think He wants us to sit around on the couch all day long watching soap operas and eating Girl Scout cookies.
What we should have instead is a balance of work and rest. Work that glorifies Him. Sure, we have to work our jobs and raise our kids, but we don't have to add a bunch of extra stuff in there. We have to leave time for the Word, prayer, and doing things that further the kingdom. As far as rest goes, we should find that in Him. He is our Sabbath-rest. When He came to earth, He fulfilled the law of the Sabbath in every way. We should observe the day chosen for our Sabbath and rest in it. Lay our burdens down and let Him have them.
Rest is something we could use more of. Especially the kind of rest that only He can offer to us. Make it a point to carve out some time for a little Jesus-rest in your day. Get in the Word. Pray. Serve someone. And rest! Don't find yourself putting your coffee in the cabinet...or the ice cream in the fridge!
7 comments:
Alison, I LOVE this post! I love your humor in it! Girl... sitting on the couch with some thin mints sounds pretty good even at 6am! I have felt ragged too. Yesterday, I actually had to make myself lie down because of so much "shuttling around." Rest is a good thing and something even Jesus had to do. If its good enough for Jesus its good enough for me!!
This is something I struggle with regularly as well Allison. Much of our lives these days are filled with running from one task to the next, and yet still looking for more activities to fill the "unused" time. I've been making it a point as of late to put aside times of Stillness and contemplation, and it's amazing how much more clearly I can hear and delight in our Lord.
Thank you for this wonderful reminder!
Have a Blessed Day!
Too funny, Allison. I have done things that like too. I'm so thankful that we can find true rest in the Lord.
LOVE this! I had to laugh at the coffee in the cabinet thing - I've been known to walk out in the garage with the milk jug in my hand trying to figure out where it goes.....a time or two, but who's counting?
It's tough to slow down when we're wearing so many hats - praying rest will find you, my friend :)
Great post! I think it's something so many of us struggle with. I read a great little book last year that gave some very easy tips on rest and the importance of carving time out for God. It's called Refuel by Doug Fields. Just fyi!
Ohhh . . . I do the same thing too . . . my kids laugh at me when they find things in "strange" places. And often it is for lack of rest and an uncalm mind. Thank you for sharing!
I keep looking for my purse in the fridge . . . at least I'm on the correct side of the room! Rest through simplicity---a great idea.
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