Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Some Different Thoughts On Rest

Hey Friend,
 
It seems to me lately that a lot of Christian bloggers and writers have been writing on the topic of "rest".  It is apparent that in this hustle-bustle, keep busy all the time, immediate gratification world of ours, that people don't know how to get off the merry-go-round. 
 
Ironically, lately, I have been experiencing the flip side of the coin and have been asking myself, "Is there such a thing as too much rest?"  Just a year and a half ago I had major knee surgery that took me out of the starting lineup for many months.  Unable to do much of anything, God beckoned me to begin this blog.  Okay, score one for the case for "rest is a good thing". 
 
Now I am out of the saddle again due to foot surgery and I will confess that I had a royal pity party.  I watched the happy people running, biking, walking their dogs from my front door and the tears began to flow.  Why Lord?  Why am I sidelined yet again?  Just when I was getting into a really good exercise routine and was thinking of starting a small group at church and, and, and.
 
I've lived the hectic busy life.  I remember well the days of leading Bible study while teaching Sunday school and volunteering at school and running to hockey  games and dance team practice, while serving our local MOPS group, and, and, and.  I also remember all too well hitting the wall with exhaustion.  Why do we go at such a pace?
 
I have a couple notions:  Self worth. Instead of finding our worth in God's view of us, we turn to the world and its accolades for jobs well done in order to find our worth.  Fear.  Fear that if we stop going at break neck speed we will have to be alone with our thoughts (which sometimes aren't pretty) or we might have to be alone with God and He just might want to point out our weaknesses.  Or perhaps fear that others will view us as inadequate if we take time to slow down.  Pride.  I have to laugh that Americans rarely take more than a few days vacation or perhaps a week at a time for rest and relaxation because we think that somehow the world at work, home, etc. will not be able to get along without us.  We also get the notion that no one can do all these things that we do better than we can.  I don't like to admit it, but shear pride kept me going at a lot of the things I was doing.  I was serving myself; I was not serving God.
 
So back to my forced rest.  I'll admit I'm squirming.  I'd rather be mindlessly running on all cylinders than to take time out for God's plan for me.
 
So what to do with all this spiritual "whitespace".  Psalm 119: 12-16 has some good answers.
 
Praise be to you, Lord; teach me your decrees.  With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth.  I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.  I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.  I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.
 
Teach, Recount, Rejoice, Meditate, Consider, Delight, Not Neglect
 
When was the last time you gave yourself time to do all these things...I mean really do them?  I fool myself into thinking a quick ten minute devotional is fuel enough to get me through the day.  I think, truly, in actuality I am neglecting God's word.
 
I am the vine; you are the branches.  If you remain in me you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing(John 15:5)
 
In order to be Kingdom changers we need to be plugged into the Vine - the life source.  It doesn't say that without Christ we can do 85%, or 50% or 25%.  It says apart from me you can do nothing. 
 
I am a stubborn learner, so I believe that God often needs to bring me to long periods of rest because He knows that on my own, I will keep going until I hit a wall.
 
Psalm 23 recounts: He leads me beside still waters.  He makes me lie down in green pastures. 
 
Why?  Because the prosperity of the Lord's servant brings glory to the Lord.
 
If we are exhausted all the time, we cannot bring glory to the Lord.
 
Last of all, I know with all my heart that God is Love!  His desire for rest for us is born out of His great love for us (Boy, I must really be loved lol.)
 
God brings us to a deliberate place of rest so that we can fully realize that we are loved just as we are.
 
GOD BRINGS US TO A DELIBERATE PLACE OF REST SO THAT WE CAN FULLY REALIZE THAT WE ARE LOVED JUST AS WE ARE.
 
When we are doing nothing but resting, we cannot earn or strive or prove; we can only just be.  We don't have to "DO" to merit God's love, we just have to rest and "BE".

Christ brings rest for the soul, the mind, the body, our peace, our anxiety, our trouble, our work, our ministry, our life.

Christ says, "Rest in me," over and over again in the Bible. 

And when we rest, we have time to be in relationship with Him.

Oh what love.  Oh what a blessing.  I'm going to try to view this time of rest as a blessing to be with my Lord instead of being a curse.  Will you pray for me that I won't squirm under his prescription for rest?  Will, you take God's invitation to rest as an invitation into a loving relationship with Him?  I pray so.  God sacrificed so much so that we could live in relationship with him.  He invites us to rest...will you take Him up on His invitation?

In His love,

Bev

ps.  If you read my blog, please know that I pray for you every morning and every evening.  If you would like specific prayer, please feel free to contact me.  I am honored and humbled to pray for you.
 
 
 

14 comments:

  1. I have been reading and enjoying your blog for a while. May God grant you healing and peace.

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    1. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog...it does my heart good to know that God's words to me are falling on ears that want to listen. You are always welcome here...please know that!! Thank you for the prayer for healing and peace. It is greatly appreciated!
      Bev

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  2. Thank you Bev. I will pray for you. Pray that you peacefully enjoy this time of "rest" and pray for your quick recovery from surgery. As I read this I found myself speed reading thinking in the back of my mind all the things I "need" to get up and do. How ironic! So, I slowed, reread your words, and am thanking our Lord for the time and ability to sit and read your words that glorify him. Thank you again, and God Bless you this day and everyday.

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    1. Louanne,
      Thank you so much for your prayers!! I will need them since me, rest and patience don't always go together. Oh how many times do I speed read. I even speed read through scripture and I miss drinking in the life giving water that God so wants to give me. So glad I was able to help you throw on the brakes and take in a moment or two of rest and refreshment from His word :) May we both glorify Him together. Blessings to you Louanne...
      Bev

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  3. Hi Bev,
    I'm praying for you in your down time, that you will be able to really rest. Thank you for your ministry with this blog. May God continue to bless you.
    Brenda

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    1. Brenda,
      I can't thank you enough for your prayers...I have the best readers!! I'm so glad you have found a comfortable place here at my blog...you are always welcome :). God's blessings back to you. You'll be in my prayers...
      Bev

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  4. Thank you Bev. I read and hear and feel your emotions. Rest, yes, that too is from the Lord. Sometimes we exhaust ourselves to be point of being no service to God. As I was listening to one of Dr. David Jeremiah cds where he talked about true worship and how we should make time for true worship. I know too often of the busyness of life. However, I have also know much down time as well. I am WAITING on the Lord to lead and guide as written in Proverbs 32:10. Sometimes in our "sidelined" time is when we are really tested and as Joyce Meyers has said we have to pass the test to get to the next level that God has in store for us. Testing came come also in the time of being "sidelined". BE (be encouraged)!

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  5. Thank you Bev. I read and hear and feel your emotions. Rest, yes, that too is from the Lord. Sometimes we exhaust ourselves to be point of being no service to God. As I was listening to one of Dr. David Jeremiah cds where he talked about true worship and how we should make time for true worship. I know too often of the busyness of life. However, I have also know much down time as well. I am WAITING on the Lord to lead and guide as written in Proverbs 32:10. Sometimes in our "sidelined" time is when we are really tested and as Joyce Meyers has said we have to pass the test to get to the next level that God has in store for us. Testing came come also in the time of being "sidelined". BE (be encouraged)!

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  6. Bev, so sorry I gave the wrong scripture. See being in a hurry isn't always the best thing. Please go to Psalms 32:8 - I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. By the way, Anna is what the grandchildren are being taught to call me but my name is LaRhonda. Too this day I am so very thankful for having read your blog and being able to enter my name into the drawing for the cup. I will cherish that cup and will display it well here at my office. I like to use it as a conversation piece and don't you know others have already commented on it. God is awesome so please know that while you are sidelined, even during this time God has plans for you. Praying for you and asking for the same with me as I feel I am coming out of a down time and into being more available to God.

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    1. LaRhonda (Anna),
      I admit that I did wonder about your name, but I know that, for privacy, some people go by a different name on the internet. What a blessing that you have grandchildren and Anna is a beautiful name to go by :). Thank you for the encouragement through scripture (I am famous for misquoting scripture addresses by the way). Rest and "down time" can be in and of itself a test for certain. I will certainly pray for you as you are coming out of a down time yourself...here's to the great plans God must have in store for us!! You have such a heart of gratitude and it does my heart good to know that you are enjoying the scripture mug- I love scripture mugs for my coffee in the am. It starts my day off on the right foot. Thanks, as always, for your encouragement!
      Be blessed,
      Bev

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  7. You share three good reasons, Bev, on why we have a hard time with rest. I know all three of those can get me. I struggle with the quietness around me with my husband gone and your words remind me to use that quiet time to spend more and more time with Him. What a blessings it is that He wants to spend time with us. You've been in my thoughts and prayers. I hope we can connect soon to catch up. Love you and (((hugs))),
    Beth

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    1. Beth,
      As you can tell, I write from experience with my own struggles with resting!! I know sometimes it's like enough quiet already. I know it's difficult pressing on each day without your husband, but I know some day you will look back and see what a time of growth this has been. You are continually in my prayers!! This week got kinda busy, so hopefully next week we can connect.
      Love and ((hugs)),
      Bev

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  8. Bev, long time ago I wrote you!
    Here I am again. :)
    I had a strong and busy time at least and it hasn't ended up yet. But today I had the strong need to visit your blog, full of need to be restet. I read the first topic and felt deeply understand - as always. So now I have huge problem with my boss and most of my coworkers are so primitive and so special (fox example they don't accept me as a young woman with a higher education). My working life changed a lot and I don't like it, but try to see the sense and God's will in it.
    I really pray for you. May you find rest. And may we be held in God while looking away from us but towards Him who's never changing.

    (Had a really great weekend with friends. We read John 15 and I enjoyed reading it here again. All of your bible verses are such an encouragement!)

    Feel hugged and held in prayer!
    Lots of love across the ocean,
    Sonja

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    1. Sonja,
      It's SO good to hear from you! I have been wondering where you've been and how things have been going in your life?! Sounds like you have been quite busy and could use some time to rest.
      I am so sorry you are having problems with your boss and your coworkers. Often jealousy comes out in ugly words and behavior. You are good to keep looking for God's purpose in it all. I will certainly pray for His will to be done in this situation. How true you are that we need to keep looking to our never-changing God!

      I am healing up...got a good report from the doctor yesterday, but I still have quite a way to go. Thank you so much for your prayers and encouragement and love across the ocean!! Good to hear from you!!
      ((Hugs)),
      Bev

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