“Ding! Ding!”
Upon returning to town after an afternoon ministry commitment, I heard a warning chime emanating from my dashboard. At that point I noticed that my fuel tank was on empty, and it was time to fill up.
The same can be true of us spiritually, but that’s not always the case. Sometimes our spiritual tank can be full while our physical or emotional tank is running on empty.
In Mark 6, Jesus “went about among the villages teaching. And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two” (vv. 6-7). At the time, there were over 200 towns in Galilee. So the disciples had their work cut out for them! In obedience to their Lord’s command, they went out preaching God’s word, casting out demons, and healing the sick. Later on, just before the feeding of the five thousand,
The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” (Mark 6:30-31 NIV).
These men had been so busy serving others, that they hadn’t taken time to tend to themselves. That’s how it is sometimes with ministry. If we are committed to serving Christ, we will pour ourselves into serving others, which will demand much of our time, attention, and energy.
In a famous movie scene, a man looks at the woman he loves and says, “You complete me!” Sometimes in ministry we look at the people we serve and think, “You deplete me!”
Jesus sympathizes with us and says, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
In his book on leadership, Saint Peter’s Principles, Peter Lillback points out, “We are to pray without ceasing … but not to work without ceasing.” He then quotes the Christian businessman and philanthropist John Wanamaker, who said, “People who cannot find time for recreation are obliged sooner or later to find time for illness.”
Referencing 1 Peter 5:8, Lillback lays down the following principle:
Don’t let the roaring lion devour your body any more than you’d let him devour your soul.
“The image of a well-trained athlete has implications for us in terms not just of the soul but also of the body.” We can’t excel as well as we could or should for our Lord if we’re not taking care of our bodies.
Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. … I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. (1 Cor. 9:24-26 NLT)
This includes incorporating into your schedule a regular cycle of rest. The Lord has designed it so that we rest not at the end of the week but at the very start of the week — the first day of the week — the Lord’s Day! It’s a beautiful opportunity to respond to our Savior’s invitation, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28).
This weekly cycle of rest sets the pattern for our daily cycle of rest. Think about it: Each day begins with rest, because most of us are asleep the first several hours of each new day (which begins at midnight). Begin each day and each week well by observing the rest that God has provided for you.
Years ago I remember hearing a quote by the late CBS News broadcaster Andy Rooney, who said, “Go to bed. Whatever you’re staying up for isn’t worth it.” I have found that to be true 99% of the time. If I can discipline myself to go to bed, even when I feel like staying up, I always feel better and more refreshed the next morning. God has given us this daily cycle of rest because he loves us.
Ask yourself:
Am I getting the rest that my body needs to function efficiently?
Am I keeping the Sabbath principle of weekly rest in my busy life? If not, why not?
Is it fair to say that if I’m too busy to pray and to read the Scriptures on a daily basis, too busy to participate in corporate worship and rest on the Lord’s Day, then I’m too busy to be physically and spiritually healthy?
Will I ever regret having spent a day a week with my family in worship and rest?
These are good things to think about.
I encourage you to receive God’s love — by getting adequate rest.
