Somehow we are nearly all willing, even expectant to hear someone say "Go feed the poor" or "Go teach in Africa" or "Read your Bible" or "Pray." We must become willing to hear Father say "Do nothing. Go and rest."
It is time for the people of God to learn we must repent from the dead works we have decided to do and limit ourselves to doing what Father requests. We must repent from striving to take care of every person and every need. No leader suffers burn-out from doing the works of God. He gets burned by doing the dead works of his own choosing.
The tragic result lies not in our weariness. It lies in the truth that when we do not limit ourselves to doing what Father says, we fill our time with fruitless stuff. Those dead works gradually consume more and more of us. Before very long we simply do not have enough left in ourselves to do the works of God. We have spent ourselves on our own dead works.
As I have often quipped, a very important part of my ministry is sitting in my recliner reading a novel. When Father has not given me tasks to do or words to say, I need to sit down and shut up.
But, as often as we talk about entering Father's rest, we often seem to be at a total loss as to how we get into that rest place.
When God entered his sabbath rest (Genesis 2), it was because He saw that everything that needed to be done was already done and it was very good. For us to join him in His rest, we must join Him in believing the same truth. Everything, yes, all of it,that needs to be done He already did. He prepared it all beforehand and we are simply walking through it with Him (Ephesians 2). God has left nothing to chance. The universe does not depend on you. The salvation of your neighbor does not depend on you. Everything you think must be done is either already done in the eternal realm or it is not needed.
Breathe in His Love and Peace. Relax !
Please, enter into the Father's rest. There you will watch real works of God.
His, thus Yours,
Stuart
4 comments:
What a good word.....
Hummm....now here is a topic of great interest....entering into God's rest. Can't say I agree with what you've written but it was an interesting read :-) I have indeed personally suffered burn-out from time to time doing the works of God. Granted the experience is rare but it has happened to me in my life-time. I try to make myself rest so that I am sharp and ready when God speaks. But there are times when resting seems far off and distant as life piles more and more demands on top of us :-) The challenge for me is prioritizing as the Lord leads as to what is pressing and what can wait for another day :-) I am the sort of person who like to clear the plate and not leave things hanging till tomorrow. But that is just my personality I think :-) I got that Get er done focus :-)
It all comes down to one of your favorite phrases, "Only do what you first see the Father doing, and only say what you first hear the Father saying". I think following this concept sets His priorities for us and prevents "ministry burn out". Although the world rudely intrudes at the most inopportune time, God allows us to choose which path to take. I've had to learn that I'm not responsible for the results of what God asks me to say or do - just my obedience. I find this lesson to bring freedom through dependence in "uncomfortable" situations.
I find this post very relatable to something I did just last week. Giving birth. Being able to relax my body in the face of waves of pain allowed my body to open and bring forth life. In most of our thinking, we believe that focusing on whatever struggle or pain we are currently struggling with will help us out of that trouble. It took a concious effort on my part and those that were supporting me to relax, breathe and let my body do as it was made to do. If I thought of the pain, or what was swirling around the environment i was in, the pain increased. When I listened to those around me encouraging me to relax, when i was content to relax through each wave and listen to the instincts Papa gave me, the pain lessened and i could focus on what Papa was doing through me. Bringing forth life. No matter what is going on around us, or what we think may fall apart it is infinitely more important to rest when Papa says rest. It will bring forth life.
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