"Rest"
Then Jesus said, "Let's go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile." He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn't even have time to eat. (Mark 6:31 NLT)
Rest is essential to life. Jesus, of all people, knows this. Not only did he create the Sabbath day of rest but he is the true Sabbath that our hearts are longing for.
After a long day of ministry he tells his disciples, "Let's get away & rest for a while." I love this very human side of Jesus. He has given out a tremendous amount & needs to take in.
While rest can be an excuse for laziness, it is essential to life. We need time to recover, relax, & be renewed. This is not done most effectively in godless activity but rather in God-filled ones. Notice Jesus spends time in prayer surrounding these events. Many of us think of prayer as work but was it rest for Jesus?
Many of us understand this idea of rest & frequently have getaways or vacations. But how many of us have returned from vacation more tired than when we left!?
Effective kingdom activity & missional living must include rest. If we don't rest we may find ourselves lacking the ability to serve God faithfully & energetically. We have to have balance. If Jesus practiced this, it must be something we take seriously.
What kingdoms activity are we engaged in? Are we living missionally?
How have we incorporated rest into our missional lives?
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