Race to Rest
Strive to Abandon Strife
Myra’s rock painting placed in Keller, TX on the Bear Creek Trail in 2024
What’s Fun Today?
When I was a kid, I measured a day by how much fun I had. Kids are very ambitious about having fun. Oddly, so ambitious that the only thing scheduled ahead of time for me, at 7, were things adults scheduled.
Who giggles the most? Little kids, that's who. Almost annoying, their constant laugthter playing together from one unplanned activity to the next. Kids have a tiny attention span but they can play spontaneously with each other for hours. Were we really like that?
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14 NIV
That must be the joy and openess. The NLT (New Living Translation) says it this way:
But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.”
Jesus said basically the kingdom is like the children, not us. He didn't point at his disciples, but the children.
Spontanaeity?
Hey, I am all for becoming a joy-filled, childlike saint who is spontaneous every day but me, I am a master scheduler and to-do list writer. I literally revise my to-do lists during the day. I've accidentally skipped important tasks in the afternoon by sticking to my list sequentially. That’s why I put afternoon priorities on a 3x5 card. Everything else goes to the next day crowding what I already had scheduled.
Why do we work so much, so hard, so diligently?
I think because we want to relax.
Scheduling Can Liberate, but that’s not my message today
My long to-do lists for the year, the month, the week, and the day sets target markers for me, but might be a sin against myself. Seeing my list itself makes me feel hard-working but creates guilt if I improvise away from the list. This is in great contrast to the sponranaeity of a 7-year-old.
I really do have duties that, if missed, have severe consequences for more than just me. Bills to pay. Rooms to clean. Cars to maintain. Things to buy. Repairs needed. Things lost (because I'm too unorganized). Calls and emails to return. Hygiene. Health. Promises. Obligations, and on and on.
I genuinely love being a provider and protector. I also love being provided for and protected by God. I see God keeping all of His promises but not getting boxed in with His own to-do list.
Kill the Guy Who Keeps Working
Sabbath? A literal and approved death penalty for someone picking up sticks instead of resting on the Sabbath . . . for gathering wood! Numbers 15:32-36
Instead of focusing on the harshness of this, maybe we should focus on the importance of rest and how it is so important to God that we take rest seriously.
I Might Have a Choice
For you, maybe after 5pm you can finally relax. I personally can sleep in on Saturday and for years have devoted Saturdays to my wife, so I am completely off the hook and push everything away on most Saturdays. It's a committment, so I am entitled to relax. See how that works? If she wants to garden or paint, I'll just wait around and do whatever I want with zero guilt. If she wants to go shopping or eat out, off we go.
I can only relax if I am believing I am ENTITLED to relax.
That is 100% perspective.
There are hundreds of gurus online to guide you on running your life efficiently or with fulfillment; some Christian, most not. I am not one of those. I can only say I feel an urgency to relax and it is actually important to our quality of life.
Work to Get That Rest
Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. KJV Hebrews 4:11
Work for rest. Do you see that? That word labor is from the Greek "spoudazo" which means effort, diligence, urgency, striving, eagerness . . . you get the idea. And these various definitions appear in other translations from the same word "spoudazo". Check your own Bible to see which one.
This fascinates me. To strive and work for rest, a Bible concept. But we also cannot abandon the child-likeness of heaven's citizens: ". . . For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.”
Maybe I become an obedient child with no worries because Daddy takes care of everything.
What If I Never Figure This Out?
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34
So I might apply this verse to me this way:
Today's to-do list is long enough, and today is a gift from God to enjoy His love and blessings. I can replace worry with enjoying God. I can relax in my faith knowing God keeps all of His promises and never forget that God's advice is very, very good.
The joy of the Lord is our strength. I suppose there will be plenty of giggling in the kingdom of Heaven.
Our ladies prayer group recently had some conversation around rest and the Sabbath. I love your juxtaposition of the frantic working adult as compared to a carefree child. Thank you for the encouragement, delight, and clarity.