Had a mild panic attack yesterday when I worked out my work load for the coming months. Pesky enthusiasm getting me involved in lots of projects, note to self, by a leash. As I looked from my to do list to my inbox (of 150 emails) and back again a niggling voice in the back of my head started to holler "surely there's a better way!"
Jesus had a lot to do in the three years, he performed miracles and changed lives. Sometimes he worked when everyone said he should stop and other times he moved away from needy crowds for time with his Father. Sometimes I think that if Jesus had more than 3 years he may have burnt out, but, being the font of much wisdom I decided to get into bed at 10pm (oh yeah, I'm getting boring and old) and look at what the bible says about rhythm and rest...
Today's culture runs at a sprint. Fads are in and out faster than I can grasp them, what's hot and what's not polls change weekly, emails inboxs are getting longer, mobile phone signals can reach you anywhere (except your lounge!?!) and travel is making the world smaller. Until about 2 weeks ago I felt like my life was running this sprint, and lets face it I'm not fit enough to sustain it for long.
Now, with travel under my belt, the Round Table report written and time to plan my coming months, I feel like I've slowed to a fast jog; hmm to be honest I'm still not satisfied. I want to live my life at a gentle jog, with room for spontaneous moments with God without having to check my watch and popping in on friends with no agenda or diary planning. I want time to think about the work I'm doing rather than rushing to meet a deadline. In a gentle jog your moving forward but you have energy in reserve to sprint when it matters. So I turned to my trusty study Bible in a moment of hunger and found some interesting things...
"Come to me all of you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you for I am gentle and humble in heart and I will give you rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Jesus, Matthew 11:28-30
I love this verse, it was my first instinct to turn to it; it's one of the few verses I know by heart. It talks about rest in terms active rest, an easy yoke (thing that straps around an ox's neck) that helps you pull your burden. Not a complete stop that gets nothing done and watches the to do list pile up but a way of working, of loving, of living that keeps you going.
Hebrews 4 is an awesome chapter. I re-read it last night and it was one of those how-can-I-not-have-seen-this-before moments. It speaks of a God who rested on the 7th day of creation not because he was tired, but because he wanted to stop and smell the roses; declare that it was good! I love that. God has time to stop and appreciate; nay, God makes time! My trusty study Bible told me that the word rest in this passage actually has four potential meanings that our pitiful 'rest' inadequately communicates...
- The day day God rested during creation and our Sabbath celebrating it.
- The promised land of Canaan.
- The peace we gain through relationship with the Father through the Son.
- Our future eternal life with Christ.
Who'd would've thought that rest could mean all that! I love it, it subtly changed my understanding and helped me look at the whole thing from a different angle. By believing in Jesus means you can 'enter God's rest' then rest is less about physical time and more about priorities and mindset. Rest is living today in the promise of our future with Jesus. It's celebration, fulfillment, purpose and relationship.If God is the point around which our lives pivots then maybe we would a) have the strength to do what we must, b) the discernment to say no when we don't need to be involved in things and c) the wisdom to appreciate what we've already done and the life we're living.
I was looking for tips like, thou shalt only check your emails twice a day, you can turn your mobile off sometimes and chill, never travel more than once in a month, and instead I got a context within which to make those decisions for myself.
I know this is all very basic stuff but I really appreciated it. I know Russ Rook spoke on Sabbath at the Leaders Gathering so I shall be getting the cd to listen to, but in the mean time, these are just my thoughts.