Two Kinds of Rest, Divine and Labor
There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.
A great verse for me to blog on BECAUSE I NEED TO HEAR THIS AND THINK ON THIS! As many of you know I’m just about down to my last month of working in my full-time nursing job. After finishing my book last month I decided to start taking on coaching clients again knowing I could give them some devoted time. I have my book launch going for 4 more weeks. (Boy, my life will change in a matter of weeks….40 more hours!!!!!) I kept thinking I could push it to the end but a couple days ago- I hit my wall. Pushed too hard and I heard the whispers. So I want to listen before I get sick, neglect my friends or family, miss something with a client, or drop the ball on my last few weeks at work.
This verse is for those of us burning at both ends for a season. Even if we know we are pushing through just for a season we still need to be true to the Sabbath. I see this verse teaching us two concepts on the sabbath.
A DIVINE REST:
- When we are in a time of great labor….it’s easy to get caught up in what WE need to do. I can fall prey to this if I don’t watch it. I am learning to call on God in these times. At night, as I drift off to sleep, rather than fretting over my long to-do list, I tell God my concerns, even reciting my to-do list. I ask Him to help me make sense of it. To prioritize, and to know what to focus on next. I tell Him in advance I will let go of any tension and pressure from my agenda as I KNOW I am His and that He will mark my steps. It doesn’t fail. I fall asleep with reassurance I did not have before praying, I awake rested and with new zest for life, and that to-do list. I get going again—-and WE get things done!
- Make yourself have time to let God take over while you trust, rest, and recenter. There is great restoration and healing here.
A LABOR REST
- We can push and push to the point of hurting ourselves, our body and this will only rob us of doing more work later. I love the healing effects of a nap or a cup of tea with my Bible and my feet up. Take even fifteen minutes and FOR SURE a day (Sunday works great for many) But rest the bones and mind. Fill up on this day for a better 6 days to come. This request from God we know, but I like to think of it in another way too….
- Growing up I knew who to go to when I had to push through some hard labor. It was my Step Dad. You had to know him to take this the right way (a loving and hardworking man) He would tell me time and time again as I crammed for tests, working on the floor for my staff and did my management jobs, or juggled some big project or committment. “Your body can sleep when your dead!” He knew the body was a suit here. And that my soul would go on forever. This always did it for me. My days here are numbered so if I am living just for the world then YES panic may set in. We have a lot we want to do before we are gone. But there is such peace and rest for the bones knowing that we don’t need to do it all today because if when we leave here our life will not end. I have an eternity to do my LIFES work-which is to LOVE. So even though you want to plow along….do it as hard as you can for those 6 days….don’t worrry about tomorrow, just plow away on for 6 days…then let the bones REST on the 7th and remember….
There is more than your ever growing to-do list here. There is an eternity to do you real work-LOVE.
Faith Infused Living… Reaching Goals Higher! Blessing, Niccie @ Niccie Kliegl.com
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