True[ish]

Last night Luke spoke from God's Word on the sabbath.

He started out with this question.... If you could tell me when you were the most tired in your life... when would it be? Mine comes to my mind so... quick (it was the morning before I gave birth to Carter) how bout yours?!

Thrust: there is a difference between true rest and mindless rest.

Mindless rest--- stuff we do while hanging out but not really refreshing.

True rest: choosing to do things that are going to get you ready to glorify God most in the next 6 days.

Great Illustration: SO many of us live like IPOD batteries that we plug in for 5 minutes here and 5 minutes there rather than letting them get down to no batteries and then fully recharging. In Exodus 20 where this commandment is laid out God tells us that in 6 days he created the heavens, the earth, and everything on the earth and yet we don't think we can do all of our work in 6 days....I think God knew what he was talking about here.

We also have a 'self-sufficiency' about us that we are going to do everything we 'need to do' no matter what and it comes out in EVERY conversation... I'm so tired and busy. We ALL, I repeat ALL do it.

Real rest is choosing to come to tell Him that you can't do it alone and that you need His help to do what He wants you to do.

Matthew 11:28-30 and Psalm 127:2 say it best.

But, at the same time once we get the sabbath down it's so important not to be like the Pharisees ... full of rules and what we can and can't do... that's not the point. The point is to recharge and to be ready to serve Christ fully for the next six days.

Like James has said for a long time... when God says don't he means don't hurt yourself!

Last year I really struggled with the sabbath. Luke was in his first year of full time youth pastor role, I was in my first year of teaching, I was pregnant, and we were still getting settled into our new home. So, I worked continuously... never getting rest and I think it was about October when I knew that we couldn't keep going at this pace. So, I challenged myself to what God had called me to... a day of rest. Amazingly, he came through...like he always does and I was able to get everything I needed to done in 6 days... and I was able to refresh to be a better wife, soon to be mom, pastor's wife for the next 6. I have learned this promise first hand. But, I think even now it's such a great reminder because as a stay at home mom there is always something I could be doing. But, it's God's command and I believe it's going to be for our whole family's benefit. Will you take that challenge?

kg:)