Relax...It's Bibllical

As we wrap up another great session of Life Groups I am reminded how important it is to the health of our lives and ministry to REST & RELAX with the Lord and our loved ones.  I've combined a blog from Rick Warren about the importance of rest and relaxation with a sabbath "How To" which came out of a sermon that I preached a few years ago. My hope is that you are able to rest in the goodness of God as we close out the Spring and head into the Summer.

 ENJOY...

Rest and relaxation are so important that God put them in the Ten Commandments. God tells us to rest every seventh day. If you’re not taking a day off every week, you’re breaking one of the Ten Commandments – and you won’t be as effective as you could be in ministry (or anything else you do).

Jesus reminds us in Mark 2:27 that the command to take a Sabbath is for our own benefit: “Man was not given for the Sabbath but the Sabbath was given for man.” God gave us the Sabbath to help us to rest and restore. Our bodies need it.Jesus modeled this in His own ministry, and we need to model it in our ministries.

Relaxation: We need to take time to enjoy life.

Mark 6:31-32 says, “Because so many people were coming and going that they didn’t even have a chance to eat, [Jesus] said to them, `Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest’” (NIV). In other words, Jesus said, “Fellows, you deserve a break today. Come to the desert and we’re going to rest.”

Jesus modeled this God-created need to rest and relax. I’m more and more convinced of the importance of balance in ministry. All areas of our lives need to be balanced. There is an ebb and flow in ministry, a time when you give out and a time when you receive, a time when you work and a time when you rest. Ecclesiastes says, “There’s a time for everything in life” – to laugh, to cry, to build up, and to tear down.

The Bible says in Matthew 11:19 that Jesus came enjoying life . You don’t hear many theologians talking about that verse. They talk about Jesus the old sourpuss. Have you noticed on TV that the media always shows Jesus with a sour, dour, very serious face? But the Bible says, Jesus came enjoying life. He survived stress by enjoying life.

God wants you to do that. The Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:17, “God richly gives us everything to enjoy” (NCV). As we use it for His glory, we also get to enjoy it at the same time.

Balance is a key to stress management. I constantly remind my staff to --

* Divert daily – Take a mini-vacation every day to recharge.

* Withdraw weekly – Take a day off every week.
* Abandon annually – Take an extended period of time off every year.
Jesus rested regularly because he knew God designed us to need rest, but also because he was being obedient to the commands of God.

One great way to "Withdraw Weekly" and rest in the presence of God is by taking a sabbath.  Here are some practical elements to add into a sabbath day that will ensure that it is more than merely a day off.  Maria and I have been working to take a sabbath for the past year and a half, and it has become a wonderful part of our weekly rhythm. If you have more questions about taking a sabbath feel free to contact me and I'd be happy to talk.

SABBATH "HOW TO"

5 Distinctives To Include In Your Sabbath Experience

1) Celebrating God:

> Focus on the gifts that God has given you, not on the things that you don’t have. No focusing on the negative things in life on sabbath.

> Spend time reading the Bible, praying, and talking with your kids about the amazing love of God.

> Get out into nature or some place where you generally connect with God (i.e. the beach, mountains, etc.).

2)   Celebrating Family:

> Sabbath is a time for blessing your family. Spend time telling each person in your family what they mean to you and how much you love them. This may feel a bit foreign at first if you don't make this a regular practice. But it will transform your family dynamic.

> If you’re married, this is a day to be "intimate" with your spouse as a celebration of God’s gift of marriage.

3)  Celebrating Fun:

> Do something fun with your family. Imagine having kids who can’t wait to spend time with God because it’s so much fun! Do something that your kids and spouse love doing on the sabbath and tell them that you are doing this because it is part of God's design for your family (i.e. tie it into God, so that your kids associate God with incredible times with the family).

4)  Celebrating Service:

> The one group of people in the Bible who were not commanded to stop working on the sabbath were the people who served in the church. 

> Look for ways to serve in the church & community as part of Sabbath.  We don’t take sabbath from serving God. We take Sabbath by serving God.

5)   Celebrating Food:

> Sabbath is a time to have an amazing meal with those closest to you. 

      NOTE: If you're in need of rest, and are looking to take your relationship with God to a whole new level...Try taking a sabbath with your family (or close friends) this week. It will mean being intentional to get the errands, housework, and yard work done before the sabbath day, but if you do it, you will be amazed at how God meets and refreshes you during your sabbath.