Hey Everybody! It’s been a little while…

 

Ya I took a couple weeks off from writing on the blog, but we made it through. I know you were probably waiting around on the edge of your seat for me to write something (it’s just that good). But, with all kidding aside, the break was good for me. Now that I’m back I’d like to talk to you about stewardship and rest.

 

The two don’t really seem to go together do they? The idea behind stewardship is taking care of something because it isn’t totally yours, and taking care of stuff always involves work, not rest. When we look at our own lives in the light of the fact that everything we have is from God it doesn’t seem quite right to ever stop working in order to utilize the blessings He has entrusted to us. We see it as our job as good and faithful stewards to always be on the move. Not wasting what we have been entrusted with. The problem with this line of thought is that it is exactly how the world thinks, and God thinks much differently.

 

Did you know that the idea of a day free from labor wasn’t ever even considered until God commanded that the Israelites observe the Sabbath? Even during the days of the “enlightened” Roman Empire the work week was 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  The world views work and movement as the answer, but God doesn’t. Jesus once said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” We often project our own thinking onto God and believe that He is disappointed with us if we are not constantly on the move, working. But he says something completely different to us: rest.

 

I look out and see Christians and churches that keep themselves moving at an insane pace because they believe that somehow it is their duty. That somehow this is what God wants; us running ourselves ragged. Christ says that we must come to Him and then we will find rest. He tells us that the best way we can care for the life and body He has given to us is to rest it. Now he is not allowing laziness, but Christ is smart enough to know that business can keep us from the goal. It can keep us from Him. We can be so busy doing things for God that we never even consider the one we are doing them for. So often, when our physical bodies are on the move then our souls are at rest (or at least not doing any work). It is only when we rest physically that our souls can do some heavy lifting of their own. Christ wants us to keep moving, but in the ways that really matter: towards Him.  

 

So, where in your life are you carving out places of rest in order that you may move towards Him? Are you allowing yourself to realize the lightness of His yoke? Where are you allowing space for those around you, who work with you, who live with you, places of rest in their life? Are you a bringer of rest or a bringer of burden?