by Steve Cordle – subbing for Joel Comiskey
It is a Sunday evening – and I have been relaxing since getting home from worship at about 1:30pm. Dinner with family, a nap, playing the piano, catching a minute with a friend, doing the NY TImes crossword puzzle with my wife, and just bumming around have filled the remainder of my Sunday. It’s been a time to recharge. Sabbath.
I thought about blogging on a particular aspect of doing ministry better, but in the end I decided against it. Sometimes we need to simply rest and recharge. How are you doing with that? Is the culture of your ministry one of hard-charging, goal-oriented, constant activity? Or do your leaders see in you and example of a healthy, sustainable life rhythm: times of ministry punctuated with times of rest.
When we rest, we trust God with what we are not doing. Resting is one of the surest indicators that we are called, not driven.
I think this is a real mark of trust in God. To rest when he asks us to rest. When Israel went to one of the three feast, they were obeying the Lord. They had to trust in his protection that he would intervene to block the enemy from attacking during the feasts that were weeks long. They had to trust his promise of protection.
Exodus 34.22
23.Three times in the year shall all thy males appear before the Lord Jehovah, the God of Israel.
24 For I will cast out nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders: neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou goest up to appear before Jehovah thy God three times in the year.
In coaching sessions, it is one of the main things we try to emphasize.
The Lord is on tbe throne, we can rest in our day’s rest or week’s vacation.