Get some rest

“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”    Mk 6:31 NIV

Why did Jesus take time out to rest? So that when He worked, He’d be at His best. And today He wants you to know that if you don’t take a break, you won’t get one. He wants you to survive the long haul, not just the short sprint. And the first obstacle you need to overcome is guilt. That’s what makes us workaholics. We feel guilty and tell ourselves, “There’s just so much to do.” Jesus handled life differently: “Because so many people were coming and going that [He and his disciples] did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me…to a quiet place and get some rest.’ So they went away by themselves…to a solitary place” (vv. 31-32 NIV). No time to eat, too many people coming and going, no time to take care of yourself—does that describe your life right now? Some people say, “It’s better to burn out than rust out.” That’s poor advice, plus it’s not scriptural. You don’t burn out when you’re in the will of God! Jesus said, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Mt 11:30). And the reason He could say that was because people didn’t set His agenda, His heavenly Father did. The psalmist said, “He maketh me to lie down” (Ps 23:2). Wouldn’t you rather go to the park by choice than to the hospital by force? The fact is God won’t send you there, but your own lack of wisdom can. Today Jesus is saying to you, “Get some rest,” and if you’re wise you will do it!

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