Genesis 2:1–7 ‘By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.’ (vv2–3)
It’s said we work hard to earn money to buy things we don’t really need to impress people we don’t really like! Is our motivation for work wrong? Lack of rest is now a national epidemic. The NHS tells us that we take years off our life with too little sleep. This leads to eating the wrong things and poor mental and physical health.
How might we find a good work/life balance? God, having created everything from nothing, surveys His work and rests. He takes time out, whilst continuing to carry the world in His hands. Rest isn’t to relinquish responsibility.
Learning to waste time with God is seen as foolish and reckless; one reason we find it hard to spend time with God.
Today, have we lost the art of stopping and enjoying the stillness of doing nothing? Learning ‘to waste time with God’ is seen as foolish and reckless; one reason we find it hard to spend time with God. Surely time might be productively invested elsewhere.
Not simply better for me but a more efficient investment of a limited commodity in the service of God’s kingdom. We don’t know how best to use time nor quantify the benefits of taking time to hang with God. Our agenda? Simply to explore our friendship with Him.
We might struggle sitting and cuddling our child with our mind computing competing demands, nor can we stop our brain from overworking and distracting us. But, cuddling a child is good for us both, so why do we fail to see the benefits from taking time to cuddle God? A big hug is a holy objective.
SCRIPTURE TO CONSIDER:
Exod. 31:12–18; Isa. 58:9–14; John 5:16–30; Heb. 4:1–13
AN ACTION TO TAKE:
Finding it hard to slow your brain down? It’s time to decide if you want to continue
to be persecuted by an overactive mind or to learn how to say ‘Stop!’ and
find your space and rhythm of rest.
A PRAYER TO MAKE:
‘Lord, help me to learn the art of not just slowing, but of stopping and spending
time alone with You. Amen.’
Photo by Defne Kucukmustafa on Unsplash
