Wednesday, May 11,
2016
“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it
holy. You
have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a
Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. Exodus 20:8(NLT)
I want to give you four practical
ways to keep the Sabbath in your heart, and in your life. They are in the form of an acrostic:
Retreat
Mother Teresa said God
is rarely found in the midst of noise and restlessness; instead, He is the
friend of silence. By all accounts this lady knew where to find
God! She learned it from a good friend
of mine, the carpenter from Nazareth:
“…Come to me, all of you who are weary and
carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28(NLT)
As Vance Havner used to say: If we don't come apart, we'll come apart! So, come apart; retreat to rest. And then, while you're resting,
Evaluate
Some time ago I went through a
comprehensive assessment of what I do as a minister. A psychologist friend sat with me over a two
day period and helped me look at my strong and weak points. It was very revealing. One part of the findings indicated something
I've known all along, but didn't have the words to describe; I am by far an
introvert, but lean towards being a bashful extrovert.
That means I love to be with people, but find it hard to initiate
contact. I usually wait to be
invited. (So, if you're wondering why I haven't
invited myself over to dinner – I'm waiting!)
Evaluation of who we are and what
we do is a necessary part of keeping our lives balanced. If you are prone to hands-on, doing and going,
but not much quiet time, keeping the Sabbath may mean a concentrated effort on
some solitude.
Say NO; Say YES
Saying no (and yes) is a learned
skill. In that ministry assessment I
made several decisions about what I will (and will not) try to do in
ministry. Because I have always had
difficulty saying “no” to any request, I had to begin finding ways to do that
so my “yes” would become more efficient and effective.
For me, keeping Sabbath balance
means being more disciplined with the time I do have. I have a friend who always has some
unfinished work at the end of the day.
He asked his secretary to put the work in what he calls the Residue file folder. She asked him what he meant. He said, I've done what I can today, the res-I-do
tomorrow!
So, retreat to rest, evaluate yourself
for balance, say no or yes to control the balance, and every now and then, or
regularly…
Take a Siesta
In certain parts of the world you
cannot get anything done at a Power luncheon; there is no such
thing. That part of the world closes
down.
I like what James Hewett said
about that: When we were borrowing customs from other cultures, who passed up the
siesta?[2]
For You Today
There is an old saying about ministers who quit their churches after a
particularly bad Wednesday. When other
preachers hear the man's left, they shake their collective heads and sigh, If only he'd taken a nap Monday! Friends, when you're stressed and
bothered – keep balanced – never underestimate the value of a good nap.
[1] Title Image: By
Nevit Dilmen [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons
[2]James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton:
Tyndale House Publishers, 1988), 495.
