Rest, Relax, Refresh, Renew




The Chinese character for the word “busy” is written by combining the two words “heart” and “dead.”  How descriptive for when we are way-to busy. When our lives are full of too much activity it lays the foundation for a lifeless heart.

I think it would be a challenge today to find someone who is not busy.  It is a part of the times in which we live.  There may be an underlying reason for our hectic pace. It’s because the busier you are, the more applauded and affirmed you get. Your ego gets stroked. But a lot can be gleaned from this ancient Chinese word.  There is a reason God created a Sabbath day to be set aside for His people to rest.  He commanded his people to work six days and on the seventh day to rest. Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you—Deuteronomy 5:12.

Work and projects and commitments in themselves are not bad.  But when we let ourselves get overly busy—even with good things—we tend to neglect the important things.  By this, we are showing that we don’t trust that God will provide for us.  I believe what God is calling Christ-followers to is balance.  When we get too busy, we are living a life on the verge of calamity—whether that comes to you, your spouse or your kids.

Make an effort in your life to rest and observe the Sabbath.  Turn off your cell phone, the television, your computer and the video games.  Take some time by yourself or your family to take a walk or spend some time at a park or the beach.  Relax, refresh and renew your soul.  Don’t create in yourself a “dead-heart,” create a heart that is filled with life.  And one way to do that is to make sure you are not getting excessively busy, but taking the time to rest.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The 80-20 Rule

In 1906, Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto created a mathematical formula to describe the unequal distribution of wealth in his country, observing that twenty percent of the people owned eighty percent of the wealth. The Pareto Principle, or 80/20 rule, states that 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.   Although this rule was first applied in Italy when Pareto was looking at the dispersal of wealth, it has since become a rule of thumb for many businesses.   It has been said that 20% of your workforce does 80% of the work, or 80% of your sales come from 20% of your clients.   I think this law comes into play in our lives as well.   Life is 20% what happens to you and 80% what you make of it. There are tons of stories about people who come out of difficult situations — gang life, in and out of jail, drug addiction, broken families, abuse – yet still seem to rise to the top.   And of course, there are many stories of those who have been given...
Read more

Control Yourself

When it comes to our life, we have nothing to say about our birth and little say about our death, but in between these two events most of the decisions are ours to be made. Are you letting life and circumstances control you, or are you controlling your own life and destiny with God’s help. Don't let life pass you by when you have the God-given ability to make things happen. I've heard it said: You can't control the length of your life, but you can control its use. You can't control your facial appearance, but you can control its expression. You can't control the weather, but you can control the moral atmosphere that surrounds you. You can't control the distance of your head above the ground, but you can control the height of the contents in your head. You can't control the other fellow's annoying faults, but you can see to it that you do not develop similar faults. Why worry about things you cannot cont...
Read more

Bounce Back

As a 7th grader in junior high school, I was devastated when I was cut from the starting 8th grade football team and sent to the second team.   I felt disappointed, embarrassed and dejected.   Latter that week, I spoke with my grandfather who passed on these words of wisdom, “It’s not how far you fall, but how high you bounce back that matters.”   I took those words to heart. The Bible says in Proverbs 25:11, “Timely advice is lovely, like golden apples in a silver basket.” I valued his wise words and committed to doing my best for this second string team, instead of pouting and complaining over my sense of failure. I committed to working hard, giving my all to bounce back. It served me well as I entered high school and played on two state championship teams. I learned that day that what happens to me in life doesn’t count as much as how I react to those things.   I had a choice the day I was cut from the team—I could wallow in misery and quit the team, or I ...
Read more