While it is a great blessing to minister to people, we all need to make time to rest. Jesus showed the importance of rest to His disciples even in busy times.
The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 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.”
So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. Mark 6:30-32
The disciples must have been very excited about teaching and doing the work of ministry. They had been sitting at Jesus’ feet for some time, and now Jesus had given them room to go forth and serve others with what they had learned from Him. There must have been adrenaline rush giving them energy and enthusiasm as they saw themselves making a difference in other people’s lives. However, Jesus knew that they still needed rest and rejuvenation.
We all need our quiet time and quiet place to rest from the various responsibilities including the work of ministry. We don’t need to feel guilty about the need to rest. As a matter of fact, it is wisdom to ensure we are making time for it. We can’t be compelled by the demands of the crowd or the volume of needs. We need to remain in tune with the Lord and listen to our bodies.
If Jesus needed rest and taught His disciples to pull away to a quiet time, then it means we are not exempt from getting rest regardless of our energy level and drive. Furthermore, our health, marriages, families, and jobs need us to allot the right amount of time for them. We should not sacrifice any of these areas because we are doing the work of the Kingdom! As a matter of fact, the work of the Kingdom is to take care of those areas well and represent well how a Christian life looks like.
Do you have the right balance between ministry and rest? Does your family or work suffer because of the number of hours you spend in ministry? Are you able to say “no” to certain demands? Are you able to organize your time to ensure that the important things take the majority of your time? Or are you just reacting to what comes to you? What do you need to change to have more time for quiet and restful time?
Image by ??????? Julita ??????? from Pixabay