Selah—Stop and Consider

Most of us would say we know how important rest is to our wellbeing. And we can all agree that getting the proper amount of sleep can mean the difference between a good day and a—possibly--difficult day. Rest helps our bodies stay healthy and allows us to process the world around us in the right way.

Conversely, a lack of sleep, and not taking time to rest can adversely impact our bodies and our emotions. When we are weary in our bodies, our immune systems are weakened. When we are emotionally weary, it’s hard for us to think right thoughts that lead to right actions.

Because God knows how He formed us God’s plan for us includes resting. As a matter of fact, in the Old Testament, He commanded His people to rest from their labors on a weekly basis and to have special times of resting and feasting during the year. The reason God mandated this rest was because His beloved people had been slaves for many generations to their Egyptian task masters. They had no idea what it meant to be loved and cared for. They only knew what it meant to be worked like…well…a slave. And this Sabbath that they were to observe was a sign to other nations of their dependence and sufficiency being found is their Good Almighty God and Father.

We no longer live under the Old Covenant and we don’t observe the Sabbath as the Hebrews did.  Jesus has become our All Sufficient One. We have entered into His Sabbath if we make Him our soul’s sufficiency!   

However, this doesn’t free us from the PHYSICAL need that we humans have to rest. Let’s face it…we don’t always rest when we should. Our schedules are packed, and we are busier now than we ever have been. If kids aren’t involved in everything from sports to the arts, parents feel guilty. If we aren’t engaging in every activity under the sun and “bettering ourselves” we feel as if we are not reaching rest full potential. If we can’t compete in this thing or join that thing we are absolutely slacking off! We are multi-tasking to our own detriment.  

Don’t misunderstand what I am saying here. Getting our kids involved in sports or the arts or technology isn’t bad in itself. Being active and reaching out to see what your human potential might be is not the enemy. BUT when we drive ourselves and our families to the point that we have no space to let down and have time to breath IS bad! It’s a proven fact…multi-tasking is a myth!

What we tend to do when we get over scheduled is to leave out the important things that we need to do as God’s dearly loved people to keep ourselves nurtured…pray, read His Word, meditate, worship, meet together with the Body of Christ. We get driven through life by a slave mentality and feelings of guilt. And our families suffer because of it!

I heard this term awhile back…SACRED BORDERS…and somehow it just resonated with me as the Holy Spirit spoke. I realized how much I needed this. Now, I make time in my life (daily, weekly and monthly) for family, rest, for meditation, for meeting with Him and His people. I guard my time closely and I set boundaries so that I have the Sacred Borders I need to keep me healthy. I’ve had to simplify my time by asking God what I should be doing. I’ve had to say “no” to some things that were good, by not God.

What about you? Are You setting yourself up to be driven? Are you putting so much in your life that the important things like family time, rest, prayer, worship, meditation, meeting with God and His people are sacrificed on the altar of busy-ness? Maybe it’s time to make your Sacred Borders more pronounced.

Robie Ecklund