Genesis 2:1b
In my “previous life” as a Christian counselor I specialized in working with over-achieving, perfectionist women who suffered from anxiety-based disorders. They were extraordinary, amazing people who’d accomplished much, but it was never enough. They often defined themselves by the goals they’d achieved, but somehow the achievement left them wanting. They believed rest was not for the weary—for certainly, they would have partaken. Rest was for the lazy.
Huh? Wouldn’t that mean God was lazy? After all, He rested on the seventh day
Of course they weren’t actually calling God lazy, but certainly they looked at His seventh-day activity as one of uselessness. But that can’t be. God is never useless.
So if God’s rest is not useless, neither is ours. Research on the brain shows there is much work being done while we sleep. Much of what we process about what we’ve learned through our waking hours happens at that time. Repair of wear and tear on our body is done at rest. Rest is so important God even built it into whole seasons. Wild animals hibernate and vegetation stops producing fruit for months out of the year. In fact, blueberry bushes will not produce fruit in the summer unless they have a certain amount of time below freezing in the winter. They need rest, too.
God not only commanded we rest on the seventh day, he also commanded farmers rest their fields for periods of time. I’m thinking rest is kind of important.
So why is it we look at this “activity” with scorn? I think it’s pride. We want to show that we can do it all without our Creator’s help. He tells us to follow His commands—even to rest—and He will make things happen. Hard for an over-achiever to do, but that’s what surrender to His Will looks like.
So submit to God. And don’t forget to rest.
6 comments:
Connie, very interesting perspective, although I will never claim to have more energy than God. In fact, more and more I've been leaning on Him and asking for more energy, wondering if that's okay.
Good work, Connie. I'm weak, energy-wise. But my strength is made perfect in weakness through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
By the way, if you will click on the cover of Christian Fiction Online Magazine on the main page of Writers Rest, scroll down and click Short Stories, you can read my short story titled D Is For Dyslexia.
Love,
Molly
Yes, His power is made perfect in our weakness. One of my favorite verses! The Dyslexia story is awesome. Love it!!!
One of the disadvantages of working from home is the temptation to always work. Resting my mind is much more difficult that resting my body. Thanks for the reminder of how important it is. :-)
Many of us define ourselves by how much we get done. I have a friend who used to start every conversation with me by listing all the things she'd done that day. At first it was just annoying...and boring...to me, but we finally talked about why she needed to tell me & everyone else how busy she was. She needed validation that she was busy and productive and, yes, useful. Praise God she was set free from that burden, but it's still something she...and most women...must overcome every day. Thanks, Connie for the reminder.
Thanks great bblog post
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