A few things come to mind, former procrastinators, as I aim to take advantage of the final days of summer. This has been a busy two months. I’m pondering the plans I had earlier to rest, listen, meditate, and act as I focused on a particular study.
When I think of rest, I think “stop striving in mind, body, spirit. Be still.” Doing is such a natural thing for me that not doing must be deliberate. Maybe you’re like that, too. If we put things off, we are often busy with other things. We can learn to pause, stop, rest. If you need consolation, this actually makes our doing more productive. But rest is productive too. God rested and set apart time for man to rest.
Friends influenced us to take Sunday more seriously as a day of rest. Later, one of our children became irritable and disrespectful causing us to examine our schedule. There was a neighborhood of playmates to enjoy six days a week and again on Sunday between morning and evening church. We decided to make Sunday afternoon “down time” for naps, reading, or quiet play. Equilibrium returned along with respect and good humor. We learned to monitor stimulation and rest for our children. We adults need that too.
It is restful to have quiet time. I don’t mean I’m guilt-free because I filled that square. No, I mean meeting with the Lord helps me remember who is in charge, helps me bow before Him instead of struggling to sit on His throne. It helps me gain perspective, focus, and feel more balanced, like my feet are on the ground.
This is an advantage of early morning devotions before activity starts. I’m changing my former comfortable schedule to earlier rising which means earlier to bed. It’s more uncomfortable to not have quiet time than it is to get up early for the privilege of meeting with the Lord. If this is not possible for you, seize whatever moments you can. Just be faithful to what works for you.
If you miss a day or several, don’t berate yourself. But get back as soon as you can. Waiting too long can dull your desire to meet with Him. If you draw near to Him at any time, He promises to draw near to you. (James 4:8)
It’s restful to trust Him. It’s restful to realize we cannot bring about what only God can and that we are not responsible for doing that. It’s restful to ask Him to send His Holy Spirit to work and then let Him do so.
Taking moments or hours to rest in the remaining days of summer can restore our souls. Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God.” What better tranquil-izer?
When will you rest?
Leave a Reply