Tuesday, August 7, 2018

CATCHING YOUR BREATH


Mark 6:31
 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."

                Do you ever feel like you are running through life and cannot stop long enough to catch your breath? That is the way Suanne and I have felt over the past couple of weeks. As we wrapped up our time at Bethel, things just got busier and busier. Everything came to a head on our last couple of days in Mankato. On our final Saturday, we were blessed to have 18 people come and help us move all of the furniture and big items out of our house and into storage. It was a monumental task. You would think that having that behind us there would be little to do; WRONG! The next three days were filled with packing and moving the small stuff that was left, interspersed with meetings, such as closing on our house and setting up a new phone service. Our ordeal finally came to a close at 12:30 AM Wednesday morning. With the last of our worldly belongings stacked in the garage or stuffed into one of our cars, we headed out of town, arriving at our destination at 2:45 AM.

                God blessed us with five days of rest on the North Shore of Lake Superior. We were able to visit all of our favorite spots and enjoy the chance to rest. I feel most of the weight off of my shoulders, although I am still decompressing from our whirlwind exit from Mankato.

                Jesus and His disciples understood what its was like to be on the run much of the time. The demands of the crowds were overwhelming. Mark tells us that it was so bad that they didn’t even have time to eat. At that point, Jesus called for a time out to give the disciples a time to rest. We know from the rest of the story that their rest did not last very long but, at least for a short time, they had the chance to catch their breath.

                We cannot always pull away from the demands of life and take time to rest. Extended periods of rest are a rare gift. But we still can find rest in the midst of our busy lives. Jesus offers us the kind of rest that enables us to shoulder the weight of responsibility without being crushed by it. "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.” Matthew 11:28-29

                There are a couple things Jesus tells us about finding rest in our fast paced, overwhelming world. The first thing is to recognize and admit that we are weary. Too often we mask our weariness with more busyness. Instead of catching our breath, we double our efforts. We are constantly being told that if we are not busy we are wasting time. So, we fill our lives with busyness and become more and more drained. Before we can deal with the problem, we have to be honest about the need.

                The second thing Jesus tells us is that we need to know where to go for help. People seek to deal with their weariness in many ways. It could be alcohol, entertainment, new experiences, or just vegetating in front of a computer screen or TV. These things offer us a temporary release from the weariness, but in the end leave us wearier. Jesus invites us to bring our weariness to Him. He is the one who can lift the burden from our shoulders.

                The third thing Jesus tells us is to let Him share our burden. It is interesting that Jesus doesn’t say that He will take the burden away. Instead, He offers to take some of the weight off of us. We were created to work, to be productive, to be engaged with our world. A life of total leisure may seem ideal, but it quickly leads to boredom and discontent. The solution to our weariness is not the elimination of all work, but the refocusing of how we spend our energy. When what we are doing is significant, it can energize us. Jesus invites us to partner with Him in significant ways. By doing this, our weariness is replaced with a sense of significance.

                Over this month I plan on taking full advantage of the rest that God has given to me. But I am looking forward to the next stage in my adventure with Jesus, as we transition to the position of interim pastor at Cavalier Baptist Church in Cavalier, North Dakota. Right now, I am catching my breath so that I can continue to run the race well.

Hebrews 12:1-3
    Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

   

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