This week’s devotions are based on this week’s message: Shadows: A Glimpse of the Sabbath! (WATCH HERE)
Do I trust enough to rest?
A value of our culture is productivity. Online or in bookstores, you can find 100s of books that teach you how to get more done in less time more effectively. Podcasts speak of organization and efficiency. Businesses look to get more done in less time and for less money. All around us our culture is screaming, “GET THINGS DONE!”
I hear it too. In fact, when people ask me if I’ve watched a certain series on Netflix or even taken in “The Chosen” my first reaction is (which I don’t say outloud), “When do people have time to sit down and watch TV?” Sure I am getting ready to watch March Madness basketball, but usually sitting and “doing nothing” is a rare thing.
But should it be? Especially when it means taking the rest that the Lord encourages by establishing a pattern of the Sabbath.
Behind every behavior is a belief system. Jesus said, “Out of the heart proceeds…” So it is with the rhythms of my life. There is a heart issue behind every behavior…including being busy.
So what is it? What is potentially a belief system that keeps us busy?
First let me try ego.
Ego wants to be recognized and recognition comes from accomplishment (at least that is what I believe). Tangible results are rewarded. Items off the “to-do” list are celebrated. You can rest when you are seen as productive. So is this true? Perhaps to some degree in our culture it is true, but what is also true is that my ego and pride can prevent me from stopping long enough to find rest in Jesus. I need to repent of finding recognition in what I do rather than rest in the reality that Jesus himself has called me his dear child. My daily efforts are not to earn his favor, but rather a reflection of who he has made me to be.
Second let me try trust.
Being busy can be a symptom of lack of trust. Sure we have responsibilities at work, at home, at our church that need to get done and we committed to doing them. But where trust comes into play is when I feel like I too must be part of the 24/7 economy to make sure that I have what I and my family need. If I pause for too long, I may run out. If I don’t work on Sundays, I will lose my job. You probably have your own list of thoughts that really boil down to the belief that I trust myself more than others…including God…to take care of me.
So, do you think I can experience the rest God wants to bless me with if I am chasing the approval of my ego or trying to control every aspect of my life? No. No I can’t.
Rather just the opposite.
When I can let go of the drive of my ego and the doubts of my heart, I can rest in the security that Jesus gives as my Sabbath rest. I can trust I have his approval and his provision to ensure, even when I take a rest to be with him, I will still be loved and still have all I need.
Let these promises give your rest this weekend!
Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Jeremiah 31:3 “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.
Apply: What promises of God can fill your heart’s desire to be busy?
Prayer: Lord God, thank you for your love, grace, forgiveness and peace that allows me to rest in you and not always be busy! AMEN.