CBN.com - "This is the
time and place to rest, to give rest to the weary. This is the place
to lay down your burden" (Isaiah 28:12, The Message).
What is rest? Rest isn't just a place. In Hebrew, the word for rest
is "menuchah", which means resting place, place of stillness, repose,
consolation, peace, the condition of restfulness, to settle down. Rest
is also an attitude and an internal posture. But ultimately, rest is
more than that. Rest is a person -- the Person of Jesus Himself.
Abiding in the Vine (John 15)
In 1974 I went
through a period of burnout. I almost left my family and the work of
the ministry. When you are tired or stressed out, your judgment is affected.
Molehills become mountains.
The Lord "spoke" to me and said: "I rested, what is wrong with you?"
So I began to take a day off every week. I took my vacations and long
weekends. After practicing this for a period of time, I noticed a measurable
difference physically and mentally.
And then the Lord indicated to me that my wife, Nedra, needed rest,
too. A woman’s work is never done: a housewife makes beds to be
unmade, she washes dishes to be dirtied, she cleans the house to be
dirtied, and she raises children to leave home.
A day off for Nedra -- that would affect the entire church.
"Monthly conferences, special meetings – meetings, meetings,
meetings, meetings – I can’t stand one more! Meetings for
this, meetings for that. You’ve worn me out!" (Isaiah 1:13-14,
The Message).
We cut out a number of weekly meetings and moved our Sunday morning
church meeting to Sunday evening so that people could rest and play
with their families and friends.
But God also says through Isaiah, "They wouldn’t listen!" Case
in point: My friend Jim had a heart attack in his early 40s. He was
a pastor and burned out, too. The Lord appeared to Jim while he was
in a coma and said, "I am now collecting from you all the Sabbaths you
owe Me!" Jim repented and the Lord healed him.
Follow Jesus' Example: Enter His Rest!
Psalm 23:2 tells us, "He leads me beside
the waters of menuchah – He leads me beside the waters of quietness."
And in Mark 6:12, Jesus said, " 'Let’s get away from the crowds
for a while and rest.' There were so many people coming and going that
Jesus and His apostles didn’t even have time to eat. They left
for a quieter spot" (The Book).
We need to take time out to pray so that we don't get fatigued, overworked,
depressed, and anxious. And then we need to listen to God. If we don't
listen, if we don't take that rest, we are liable to die prematurely.
Let's not wait until we have compromised our health. Let's instead
embrace Hebrews 4:9-11, which says, "So there is a special rest still
waiting for the people of God. For all who enter into God’s
rest will find rest from their labors, just as God rested after creating
the world. Let us do our best to enter that place of rest" (The
Book).
Scott Ross, has won five Angel Awards for excellence in television.
He has also been nominated for two Ace Awards for the Scott Ross Straight
Talk TV show. His recent primetime specials marked Scott's move from
the studio to the streets, reaching a U.S. audience of over 50 million
viewers. Scott has built a reputation for confronting challenges head
on -- putting problems in perspective. His unique interviewing style
gets people talking candidly about sensitive subjects.