Matthew 11:28-30
Last week I wrote about finding rest in your week trusting God to take care of the seventh day. There is another aspect of rest that comes while you are working. Does the work that you do feel restful or does it make you feel anxious, worried, warn out, and tired.
In Matthew 11, Jesus says, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
I love the Message version.
28-30"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
Jesus is available to us how to take a “real rest.” Asking us to “walk with him”. The Hebrews 4, quoted from Psalm 95 says, “when you hear his voice don’t harden your hearts.” There is “real rest” when we recognize His voice through a relationship with Him. I believe this is a partnership that is guaranteed to relieve your stress from your everyday pressures of work. Are you willing to take on a partner?
When we say, “yes” to what God has for us, I believe He promises rest. It won’t make sense to the world that doesn’t know Him. They will question your decisions, try to convince that the work is too hard and too much, but I believe it is exciting and energizing and I don’t want to do life any other way. This is one of many paradigm shifts we need to make in order to live merged lives.
MERGE Moments capturing where we can expect, seek, and find God in our professional lives.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Finding Rest Is Good For Business
Entire Passage: Hebrews 4:1-13 – Rest
Verses 1b-3a
“God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. 2 For this good news—that God has prepared this rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God. 3 For only we who believe can enter his rest.”
One thing I struggle with is the idea of “rest.” I have been raised to fill every minute and anything short of that is looked upon as lazy (or at least that was my translation). With our modern technologies it makes being connected to our busy worlds easier but our boundaries between work and rest are blurred. Our day of rest is a thing of the past.
What would it look like as businesspeople to enter into rest? I can hear the objections and most of them are coming from within. I have too much to do; there isn’t any way possible to complete it. I will get behind. I use that extra day for work at home to get caught up.
The Hebrews passage wasn’t written as a suggestion. It was a command. God created us; He knows our needs. Do I trust Him to handle everything I have to do in a week, a 5 or 6-day week and He’s completely responsible for day 7? I wonder if I take this seriously, how much better my work will be. I wonder if I take this seriously, if I can offer my family the best Carla possible. I wonder if I take this seriously, how much better my relationship with God will be.
Verses 9 - 11
9 So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. 10 For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. 11 So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall.
My challenge for myself and to the business community, create some space in your busy weeks to “rest." I want to enter into “rest” with full expectation of seeing the benefits immediately. The Hebrews passage talks about the people who disobeyed would fall, I wonder if we are limiting our success because of our inability to “rest."
Verses 1b-3a
“God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. 2 For this good news—that God has prepared this rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God. 3 For only we who believe can enter his rest.”
One thing I struggle with is the idea of “rest.” I have been raised to fill every minute and anything short of that is looked upon as lazy (or at least that was my translation). With our modern technologies it makes being connected to our busy worlds easier but our boundaries between work and rest are blurred. Our day of rest is a thing of the past.
What would it look like as businesspeople to enter into rest? I can hear the objections and most of them are coming from within. I have too much to do; there isn’t any way possible to complete it. I will get behind. I use that extra day for work at home to get caught up.
The Hebrews passage wasn’t written as a suggestion. It was a command. God created us; He knows our needs. Do I trust Him to handle everything I have to do in a week, a 5 or 6-day week and He’s completely responsible for day 7? I wonder if I take this seriously, how much better my work will be. I wonder if I take this seriously, if I can offer my family the best Carla possible. I wonder if I take this seriously, how much better my relationship with God will be.
Verses 9 - 11
9 So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. 10 For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. 11 So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall.
My challenge for myself and to the business community, create some space in your busy weeks to “rest." I want to enter into “rest” with full expectation of seeing the benefits immediately. The Hebrews passage talks about the people who disobeyed would fall, I wonder if we are limiting our success because of our inability to “rest."
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