Staying Sharp
Theme of the Week: Rest Is Not Optional
Gordon MacDonald
Monday, June 28, 2004
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Key Bible Verse: Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28). Bonus Reading:Matthew 11:2—30
Some years ago my wife, Gail, and I were hiking in the Alpine meadows of Switzerland. We stopped to watch the ballet-like movements of some grass cutters as they swept their blades across the heavy grasses. But periodically they'd stop cutting. Standing quietly, they'd talk as they swept a stone across the blade, resharpening it. Then after several moments they'd begin cutting again.
The point is obvious: The frequent rests not only restored the energy of the cutters but gave time for sharpening of the blades. Productivity was enhanced, not by continuous work but by work that was marked by periodic rests. Shouldn't all work be marked by this principle?
Rest is typified by the well-worn words we read in the Hebrew Scriptures: "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul." This is rest: a moment free from want or desire, a "lying down" and the refreshment of quiet (safe) waters. And when it happens, not only are the body and the mind brought to healing, the soul is reordered in divine peacefulness.
—Gordon MacDonald in Life@Work
Adapted from Life@Work (7-8/99) by permission.
My Response: How will I integrate periodic rests into my work schedule?
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Lord, help me practice what Scripture commands by allowing time for rest and reflection, especially on your Sabbath.
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