Give it a rest!

After about 10 days without a real break, I made myself rest yesterday. I sat on my deck and enjoyed the sounds of life surrounding me. I read a good book with beautiful music playing. I did a few household chores, but mostly- I rested! As a result of easing up on the throttle, so to speak, when it was time to actually time go to bed, I quickly fell into a deep and peaceful sleep, my heart overflowing with thankfulness for the peace of God.

God told the Jews that one of the ways they would be marked as belonging to Him would be an observance of a weekly day of rest. One day in 7 was to be free of work, focused on rest and worship, for the purpose of creating space for reflection and finding renewal. While I do not read the Scripture as requiring a Sabbath law for Christians, I do see a principle that we ignore to our peril. When we become so convinced that we must work for days on end, that we cannot take time to rest, that worship is a luxury we cannot afford - we become deceived about our self-importance and lose sight of God’s love and provision for us.

Spiritually, we discover something of critical importance about ‘resting’ in the book of Hebrews, where we read of the ‘Sabbath rest’ available to the people of God.  God invites us into a place of serenity, where our souls are settled securely in the covenant promise of the Lord. "Since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith." (Hebrews 4:1-2, NIV) Unbelief, a refusal to accept the grace of Christ, leads us to frantic activity that destroys our peace with God..

Are you working to try to save yourself? 
Are you troubled that you might not be ‘good enough for God?’ 

Does your insecurity drive you to do more without joy?

Unless you are living in some deliberate, unconfessed sin – you need not let your heart be troubled. Christ Jesus fully completed the work of making us right with God. It’s done! Oh yes, we are called to work out the implications of that salvation as disciples of Jesus. We are gifted by the Spirit to serve, but not in a frantic way, not to prove our worth to God. Working with God is so much more fulfilling than working for Him.  Have you forgotten that Jesus calls us brothers not servants, that He invites to live as members of the family of God, not merely as servants in the household of God?

If we are constantly working hard in an attempt to earn His blessings or to salve our battered conscience, our efforts will be dutiful, exhausting; self-focused. This misplaced focus becomes a source of a temptation to settle for ‘looking good’ rather than actually allowing the Spirit to make us beautifully holy. When we engage in serving the Lord because we love Him even those things that could be drudgery, take on meaning: the same tasks, yes; but, done with a different motive.

But, if we rest fully on the completed work of Christ, we find continual renewal, more effectiveness, and peace ‘’that passes human understanding”  even in the worst of times.

Meditate on Jesus’ words. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  (Matthew 11:28-30, NIV)  He has prepared a place of soul rest for you. It is not the kind of rest we find in a hammock in the backyard on a Summer afternoon.   It’s a sense of fulfillment and purpose that comes from knowing His covenant love and the security that results.

Do you need to tell yourself ‘just give it a rest!’? 

Bring that matter that troubles your soul to Him. 

Ask for wisdom, for help, for acceptance – and ‘enter His rest.’

Here is a word from the Word - "The LORD protects the simple-hearted; when I was in great need, he saved me. Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you. For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling." (Psalm 116:6-8, NIV)

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Peace, peace, wonderful peace,

Coming down from the Father above!

Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray

In fathomless billows of love!

                -Public Domain

Thanks, Mr. Rogers

I enjoy a well-written biography. Who was he? Where did he come from? What formed his values? I am reading The Good Neighbor, about the man who was part of shaping the lives of millions of children who visited Mr. Roger’s neighborhood each day on television. A primary descriptive word the author uses is kind, tracing Fred’s kindness to the example of his wealthy parents who were active in caring for the poor of their city. Beyond their example, he knew what it felt like to be treated badly. He was often bullied as a child when he was overweight, isolated, and frequently ill.  Fred Rogers wanted every child to feel loved and invested his life in pursuit of that aim.

Kind – what a bland word, at first glance. We may admire kindness but few of us consciously aspire to being ‘kind.’ Fred Rogers made an easy target for the pseudo-sophisticates who mocked his cardigan sweater and gentle tone. And, yet, children loved him, drawn to a man who had time to notice their interests.

Are you kind?

A kind person is of a gentle nature, helpful, and readily showing concern for others. A good measure of patience is required as well. The Word does not just suggest kindness to disciples. God requires it of us. Contrasting two very different ways of life, Paul writes "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." (Ephesians 4:31-32, NIV)

I feel the weight of those moments in my life when impatience made me demanding or mean-spirited. I know how easy it is to speak critical or harsh words, filled with judgment, that leave another’s heart broken.  And I am thankful that God has worked to make me a much kinder man than I once was, though that work has been at the cost of much pain.

The world we live in desperately needs Christians who are filled with kindness. In the cacophony of the raging culture wars, when even Christians hurl Twitter broadsides at those with whom they differ within the Body of Christ, I pray that God will make me gentle.  Gentleness does not mean that we live without conviction. Kindness does not make us fearful of taking a stand. Those who are filled with the Spirit learn to trust Him and that deep faith makes us capable of listening well so as to make even those with whom we disagree feel cared for, persons who are loved by God.

Indeed, kindness is evidence of the life of the Spirit in us! “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ^gentleness and self-control.”  God is kind to us. He does not treat us contemptuously, does not refuse to hear us because we are ‘less’ to Him. He gives us good gifts, loving us even when we are apathetic towards Him.

As you head into a new week, try a little kindness. In prayer, thank God for His compassion. Repent for specific places where you have been mean, judgmental, cruel, or careless.  And, then pray for kindness and let Him break your heart, take away your fears, and make you gentle.

Here is a word from the Word - "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." (1 Corinthians 13:4-5, NIV)

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Try a Little Kindness

(an old song but a great thought)

If you see your brother standing by the road

With a heavy load from the seeds he's sowed

And if you see your sister falling by the way

Just stop and say, you're going the wrong way

You got to try a little kindness

Yes show a little kindness

Just shine your light for everyone to see

And if you try a little kindness

Then you'll overlook the blindness

Of narrow-minded people on the narrow-minded streets

Don't walk around the down and out

Lend a helping hand instead of doubt

And the kindness that you show every day

Will help someone along their way

You got to try a little kindness

Yes show a little kindness

Just shine your light for everyone to see

And if you try a little kindness

Then you'll overlook the blindness

Of narrow-minded people on the narrow-minded streets

Glen Campbell

Life changing?

Last weekend I went to see Toy Story 4 with some younger friends. I was surprised at the depth of my emotional response. I was really touched, drawn into the movie’s story line!  Woody, a cowboy doll, reunites with an old friend, Bo Peep, and discovers a new friend, Forkie.  (Hang with me, there’s a point here.)  The plot is built around the loyalty of friends and the ever-shifting nature of relationships. Woody discovers that Bo Peep has a different life than he could imagine. She challenges him to think about his assumptions about how life must be lived. She invites him to be willing to accept the changes that time brings and to grow into new experiences. The film is masterfully done but it really works because somewhere deep inside, we all know that change for us is inevitable, too.

Like it or not, change is the only constant. The old line says “Change or die.” It is true. We mature in understanding. Our bodies age. People come and go. Some relationships flourish and some perish. We have seasons of great fulfillment and then there are those months when we go to bed every day wondering why we should even get up the next.

How do you cope with the changes that come your way? 

Some people deal with change by ramping up control.  They spend a lot of time and vast amounts of energy trying to eliminate variables, fix relationships, and keep life the same. In the worst case, the controllers become impossibly rigid, stubborn, and usually deeply frustrated because life is, no matter how much we try, beyond our control.

Some people escape, pretending life is not changing. They won’t talk about things that are shifting; or, they choose not to participate in a meaningful way in the processes of adaptation to change. For example, as they see their children growing up, instead of being a part of helping them to independence, the ‘escaper’ withdraws, emotionally hiding from this change that is so painful to experience.

God invites us to deal with life’s changes with faith.

We trust Him because He is all-knowing and unchanging. He will guide us through change knowing what we cannot know and remaining a solid anchor point for us when life gets turbulent.  The inspired Word assures that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." (Hebrews 13:8, NIV)  The Gospel – that Christ Jesus saves us graciously and gives us eternal life – is the one constant that we need never question.  He said “Anyone who listens to my teaching and obeys me is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse, because it is built on rock." (Matthew 7:24-25, NLT)

When we prioritize knowing God, setting our hope on His unchanging promise, we can do more than just cope with change. We can actually anticipate it, grow through it, and remain spiritually and emotionally healthy through it all.  At our Vacation Bible School this week, the kids affirmed with a shout “When life changes … God is good.”  I smiled as I heard their little voices raised in that statement, thinking how little they really knew what they were saying and I prayed for them that they would grow into the kind of mature faith that makes that more than a slogan.

Are you reeling in shock from some big change?
Are you angry, trying to control the forces of life to keep change from happening?
Are you escaping, refusing to accept reality?

OR, are you resting on God’s unchanging Word, praying for acceptance, growing into new opportunities?

Here is a word from the Word. May the Spirit keep you in hope when all life is changing. "But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t be afraid and don’t worry. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if you are asked about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it." (1 Peter 3:14-15, NLT)

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In Christ Alone

In Christ alone my hope is found

He is my light my strength my song

This Cornerstone this solid Ground

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

What heights of love what depths of peace

When fears are stilled when strivings cease

My Comforter my All in All

Here in

No guilt in life no fear in death

This is the power of Christ in me

From life's first cry to final breath

Jesus commands my destiny

No power of hell no scheme of man

Can ever pluck me from His hand

Till He returns or calls me home

Here in the power of Christ I'll stand

Keith Getty | Stuart Townend

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