Pastor George Stahnke
11/19/2014
Do you ever feel like there are just not enough hours in a
day to get everything done? Rest, you say, when is there time? Yet God demonstrated that rest is essential, appropriate
and right. He personally set the
standard, resting from His work (Genesis 2:2-3 By the seventh day God had
finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested£ from all
his work. 3And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he
rested from all the work of creating that he had done.) In Exodus 23:12 we read that rest is to be
extended beyond ourselves. “Six days do
your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey
may rest and the slave born in your household, and the alien as well, may be
refreshed.”
Rest is this passage is the Hebrew word, shaw-bath’ meaning to repose, to desist
from exertion, cease, leave , put away, rid, rest. Get the picture? STOP and
RELAX! Rest is not just a good idea, it
is a command! Our compliance is important in maintaining a balanced healthy
life. We must resist the societal norm to fill every moment with activity.
“I'm constantly amazed by the number of people who can't
seem to control their own schedules. Over the years, I've had many executives
come to me and say with pride, 'Boy, last year I worked so hard that I didn't take
any vacation.' It's actually nothing to be proud of. I always feel like
responding, "You dummy. You mean to tell me that you can take responsibility
for an $80 million project, and you can't plan two weeks out of the year to go
off with your family and have some fun?"—Lee Iacocca, Leadership, Vol. 17,
no. 4.
Respond: God has commanded that we respond to His call
to rest. Deadlines, expectations, responsibility, and the demands of ministry
can become so oppressive that we can feel like we are being driven by the
tyranny of the urgent. Typically that
means the family gets the left overs or just gets left behind. 80% of pastors say they have insufficient
time to spend with their spouse and that ministry negatively affects their
family. Rest must become a priority if
we are to live a balanced life.
Hebrews 4:10 For the one who enters God’s rest has also
rested from his works, just as God did from his own works.
Escape: To be at your
best you must escape. In the Old
Testament we have the command of God to rest (Exodus 23:12). In the New Testament
we have the example of Jesus personally calling those who ministered with him to
escape to a solitary place and rest.
Mark 6:31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to
a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they
had no leisure even to eat. Can you
relate to this passage? Ministry was so all consuming that they did not have
time to eat!
Let’s take a closer look at this admonition to rest. In John 8:26 Jesus said “…what I have heard
from Him I tell the world.” In John 14:7 Jesus said “If you have known me, you
will also know my Father also.” What do
we know from the Father? What is the message from the Son? The answer, come
away with me, escape the pressure and rest!
I believe that the psalmist has a relevant word for all of
us in ministry us today. “It’s useless to rise early and go to bed late, and
work your worried fingers to the bone. Don’t you know he enjoys giving rest to
those he loves?” Psalms 127:2 (TMNT)
Will we heed the words of Jesus “Come to me, all you who
are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
Schedule: If you don’t
schedule your rest periods it will not happen.
This is the rule that I try to live by. Whatever is in the calendar
first wins. I do not change the calendar unless it is an emergency by my
definition. Sit down with your spouse and schedule your day off and your
vacation.
He has called you to rest to avoid burnout. He has called
you to rest to develop and maintain healthy relationships with your family,
your leadership team and other. If you are like me, every important meeting is
put into my schedule. If is not there is
a high probability that it simply will not get done.
Treasure: You need to
treasure and protect your times of rest. Remember the rule, whatever is in the calendar
first wins. Guard your calendar.
Treasure your rest and relaxation. Here
is the truth my friend. God cares more for you as a person that what you do for
Him as a minister.
John Wanamaker, a merchant, religious leader, civic and
political figure, said it well “People who cannot find time for recreation are
obliged sooner or later to find time for illness.” “Renewal and restoration are
not luxuries. They are essentials. Being alone and resting for a while is not
selfish. It is Christ like. Taking your day off each week or rewarding yourself
with a relaxing, refreshing vacation is not carnal. It's spiritual. There is
absolutely nothing enviable or spiritual about a coronary or a nervous
breakdown, nor is an ultra-busy schedule necessarily the mark of a productive
life.”—Charles R. Swindoll
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