3:149 – Quiet, Please!

#faithbites #faithjourney please

Quarantine life has hit a new high or low. My tank is empty. I need a break. Just some quiet. It’s not that anyone is being bad or doing wrong things, just on eggshells right now. I went out to sit on the deck, and my youngest followed me for a snack. I went to the front yard to talk to my neighbor and she followed. Heck, in the shower this morning, they were asking questions.

We all need a little bit of quiet.

Scripture

• Exodus 20:9-10 – You have six days each week for your ordinary work,  but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you.
• Mark 2:27-28 – Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”
• Ephesians 5:15-17 – So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.  Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.

Reflection

First and foremost, even God rested. Why don’t we? In quarantine life, it’s even harder when your work, play, home, and rest is all in the same place. If the creator of the Universe needed rest, we need to take it. Jesus clarified this as rest is what we want it to be. It doesn’t have to fit a specific look or feel, but we need it. Without it, we will burn out. That is where I am now. Finally if we look at Ephesians, it shows us that the work we do needs to be the right work. Rest is important but the work is too. We need to spend those six days doing good meaningful work.

Are you tired because you are doing too much work, or not doing the right work? If you are doing the right work, are you taking the rest? No matter who you are or what you do, we all can burn out.

During this strange time, we need to be more vocal and assertive about our rest. We can still be kind, but we need to say: Please, I need rest. I’m not good to you without any rest. For those who serve, this is a difficult thing to you. Know you aren’t alone. We want to serve and serve well, but without rest, we are doing a disservice to everyone. Let us listen to God, and follow his instructions.

Challenge

Turn off the noise. Go outside. Shutdown social media. Read a verse or two. Do a daily devotion. We all need a chance for good sabbath reset.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you for your example in taking rest. You went alone to pray as you needed your own time. Help us to rest and observe the Sabbath in the way that we need to. Let us question the work that is tiring and draining. Is this the work we should be doing? Be with us as we struggle with these questions. Help us to find the answers that you want us to. We know we serve best with rest. Let us know you have provided us a place for rest today and eternal rest. In your name, Amen.