You want me to sit down and do nothing?! You want me to spend a day or a few hours alone?! How am I supposed to get everything done that HAS to get done if I spend the afternoon sitting on my patio, reading?! Are you nuts?!
If you ask the typical person in the U.S.A. how they are doing, how would their reply sound? Most people answer that question "I'm good but busy!"...as they rush off to do the next thing on the list.
Last night at church God directed the speaker to teach on rest. I left there challenged to take the time to rest. His sermon was titled "The Unpracticed Discipline of Rest." I want to share my notes with you in hopes you take the challenge, as well, to exercise the discipline of resting as the Lord commanded.
*God built us for work.
*God built us for rest.
*So many times we get lost in that first point and forget the second one.
A. God created rest for us. Genesis 2:2-3
1. Sabbath - to cease, to stop.
2. Holy - set apart.
3. God reminded us to rest in Exodus 20:8-11
B. Why did God create rest for us?
1. We physically need it. Exodus 23:12
a. The medical field agrees that physical rest helps the body refresh itself.
b. Stress brings havoc to the body as time goes by.
2. We spiritually need it. Mark 4:18-20
C. Why do we find it difficult to rest?
1. Worries of this life.
2. Deceitfulness of wealth.
3. Desire for other things.
4. Trying to serve two masters. Matthew 6:24-24
*You wear yourself out by trying to serve God and this world.
D. How do we rest?
1. Stop wanting! Psalm 23
2. Take deliberate steps.
a. Turn the cell phone off.
b. Turn the television off.
c. Don't answer the phone or emails right away.
3. Learn to say no.
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1 comment:
Wow. "Stop wanting!". That pretty much sums it up. If we didn't want as much, we wouldn't have to work as hard.
I also have a problem saying "no" sometimes. I do double and triple work sometimes b/c I can't tell someone that I can't do that for them.
Thanks for the reminders. I need a break. :-)
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