Rest

Mark 2:27 Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”

How do you rest? Do you rest at all?

In yesterday’s sermon, Bill talked about the importance of rest. Unfortunately, we are often encouraged not to rest. Our American work culture looks down on vacation and time off. We get obsessed with productivity.

Maybe you resist the urge to rest. You fight it and power through life. Just like a car engine without oil, you can only go on for a certain period of time. Eventually, you will burn out.  You might even try to distract yourself. Like putting tape over the “check engine” light on the dash of the car. You can cover it up all you want, but the burnout it coming.

In the Scripture for today, Jesus is reminding us that the day of Sabbath, the day of rest, was made for our benefit. It isn’t another rule to follow. It’s supposed to be a blessing. God wants us to be blessed through rest.

This means we have to face the music. We need rest for our own well-being, and God wants us to be rested. This is a tough thing to face. When we are overloaded with work, kids, school, bills, and all of life, facing the reality of needing rest is hard to swallow. Once we can recognize this need for rest, we turn towards quietness and trust in God’s hand in our life. From this quietness, we turn toward Jesus for rest, renewal, and transformation of ourselves.

Take a few minutes in prayer and talk with God about some areas he might be calling you to rest. Perhaps this is work, or your kid’s activities, or even your studies. Pray for quiet in your mind so that you can turn away from business and turn toward Jesus in leading you. As you go through your day, find time for rest. Maybe it’s five minutes with a cup of coffee, or a simple walk outside. Keep your eyes open for the rest that God may be placing in front of you.