RANDOMNESS
For a number of weeks, I've been writing about the toxic nature of our culture and everything around us and its impact on our lives. Now it's time for a little randomness for a while.
In Matthew 11:28 Jesus said, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Let's look at that verse for just a minute. Who was he addressing? All who labor. Do you labor? I know I do. Wow, do I! I work all week. I work on Sundays. (the church is not Chik-fil-A) I work on my days off. That's usually when all the stuff I own reminds me that it actually owns me. I spent all day yesterday working on my back yard. (it looks pretty sweet!) The plan for this morning is for Susan and I to spend the morning working on planning our vacation, planning meals for the week, planning when we're going to do our taxes (we always get an extension simply because it lets us put it off a little longer), and making some much-needed financial decisions regarding our future.
Yeah, Jesus, I get that labor part. My hands up. See.
And are heavy laden. That's a little tougher, but, yes, I think I'm pretty heavy laden some times. Like when I go to bed at night and instead of falling right to sleep, I think about all the stuff I didn't get finished that day or all the stuff I need to do tomorrow. Or when the alarm is set for one time and I wake up an hour before it's supposed to go off and try as I may, I can't go back to sleep because that new message series keeps putting itself together in my head, or what you told me about your marriage yesterday is still haunting me, or the reorganized Org Chart for the staff is causing me second thoughts, etc., etc., etc.... Yeah, I guess I get the heavy laden part too.
Then he says, Come to me.....and I will give you rest. Well, I certainly qualify for the criteria he's looking for. Got the labor down. Heavy laden...check. I guess most of us would qualify. But he says, that's not normal. That's not my plan for you. You will be there, you just can't stay there. His prescription...his command, is first, Come to me. I hear people talking about the time they spend with God. It's while they drive to work (that's got to be high quality), or when they put on their make-up or while they _______. Does that really qualify as coming to him? Sounds more like "Come along with me Jesus. Between the radio and the traffic lights and this jerk that won't let me in...come on along"
And I will give you rest. Where's the rest? Let me ask you a question. Do you prioritize rest? Or, are you like me...do you feel guilty when you rest? Do you feel unproductive? Do you feel lazy? Wasteful? Do you ever have a day without a to-do list? A day with REST written on it in big letters?
I need to close, so let me just say two things:
1) You need rest every day and that rest comes when you go to Jesus. Not when you invite him to run alongside you. When you actually go to him.
2) You need to plan for rest, unapologetically and without guilt, and do it. You are a human being, not a human doing. That's important. Remember it. Live your life as though you believe it.
STAY RESTED MY FRIEND. STAY RESTED.
In Matthew 11:28 Jesus said, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Let's look at that verse for just a minute. Who was he addressing? All who labor. Do you labor? I know I do. Wow, do I! I work all week. I work on Sundays. (the church is not Chik-fil-A) I work on my days off. That's usually when all the stuff I own reminds me that it actually owns me. I spent all day yesterday working on my back yard. (it looks pretty sweet!) The plan for this morning is for Susan and I to spend the morning working on planning our vacation, planning meals for the week, planning when we're going to do our taxes (we always get an extension simply because it lets us put it off a little longer), and making some much-needed financial decisions regarding our future.
Yeah, Jesus, I get that labor part. My hands up. See.
And are heavy laden. That's a little tougher, but, yes, I think I'm pretty heavy laden some times. Like when I go to bed at night and instead of falling right to sleep, I think about all the stuff I didn't get finished that day or all the stuff I need to do tomorrow. Or when the alarm is set for one time and I wake up an hour before it's supposed to go off and try as I may, I can't go back to sleep because that new message series keeps putting itself together in my head, or what you told me about your marriage yesterday is still haunting me, or the reorganized Org Chart for the staff is causing me second thoughts, etc., etc., etc.... Yeah, I guess I get the heavy laden part too.
Then he says, Come to me.....and I will give you rest. Well, I certainly qualify for the criteria he's looking for. Got the labor down. Heavy laden...check. I guess most of us would qualify. But he says, that's not normal. That's not my plan for you. You will be there, you just can't stay there. His prescription...his command, is first, Come to me. I hear people talking about the time they spend with God. It's while they drive to work (that's got to be high quality), or when they put on their make-up or while they _______. Does that really qualify as coming to him? Sounds more like "Come along with me Jesus. Between the radio and the traffic lights and this jerk that won't let me in...come on along"
And I will give you rest. Where's the rest? Let me ask you a question. Do you prioritize rest? Or, are you like me...do you feel guilty when you rest? Do you feel unproductive? Do you feel lazy? Wasteful? Do you ever have a day without a to-do list? A day with REST written on it in big letters?
I need to close, so let me just say two things:
1) You need rest every day and that rest comes when you go to Jesus. Not when you invite him to run alongside you. When you actually go to him.
2) You need to plan for rest, unapologetically and without guilt, and do it. You are a human being, not a human doing. That's important. Remember it. Live your life as though you believe it.
STAY RESTED MY FRIEND. STAY RESTED.
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