"It's often the strongest among us who eventually wear out under faithful and dedicated service."
"God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done." Genesis 2:3
She reluctantly dials up her friend's cell phone. "I hate to cancel lunch, but I'm so incredibly tired. I can hardly even move."
"I'm sorry. Maybe you should rest."
"I know – but it's really hard. I don't like to let people down. And now I'm disappointing you. I am such a weakling!"
We've all been there. Our schedules are full of commitments with no time to rest. We're drained and overwhelmed. Always running on the edge. Always giving and never replenishing. One more activity is simply more than we can bear. All our reserves are gone. We've hit the wall.
It's often the strongest among us who eventually wear out under faithful and dedicated service. We feel like failures, but that's not true. We're simply outstripping the limits God gave us. Even he took time to rest from his labors. Will he expect less of us?
God's commandments tell us to observe a time of rest – the Sabbath. This is his holy pattern for living. Think of it like this. A book without punctuation makes no sense. Neither does a life without pause for reflection and repose.
If we stop – even for a moment – we may hear a still small voice. It insistently repeats, "Come away with me." Could this be God beckoning us to be renewed and replenished?
We imitate God when we complete a time of creativity with a period of rest. Try integrating these disciplines into your lifestyle:
- If you are overtired, withdraw for a while. Others will understand.
- Limit your activities. Be sure to include daily prayer and meditation.
- Dance to God's tune. Count to six and rest on seven.
Sabbath is a time to take stock of our work and to renew both our bodies and our commitments to Christ. Jesus took time to refresh himself, as have holy people throughout the ages. Remember, God doesn't expect YOU to save the world. That's his job.
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