Don't Worry, Be Happy - Sunday July 14, 2013
One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind. Ecclesiastes 4:6
As I write this, we are traveling home from a vacation visiting our daughter who teaches in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Vacations are wonderful opportunities to rest and renew our bodies, minds, and spirits. In the movie What About Bob, I love how Dr. Leo Marvin writes Bob a prescription to "take a vacation from his problems."In His Word, God gives us many prescriptions for how to handle stresses in our lives. In Luke 10:39-42 Martha is distracted and bothered by her busyness, while Mary chooses to sit at Jesus' feet and to simply spend time with Him. How often I get that one wrong in my life. I become overwhelmed by my to-do list and lose perspective on what is most important. I fail to quietly spend time with Jesus. I get caught up in doing things for Him instead of being with Him.In Matthew 11:28 Jesus urges us to come to Him when we are weary and heavily burdened, and He will give us rest. I can focus on selfishly meeting my needs instead of coming to Him, and it never truly satisfies. In the verse above, we are reminded of the importance of rest instead of constantly striving. In a culture that is driven and results-oriented, it is hard to grasp the truth that rest is often the most productive choice.We may not be able to get away to the beach or the mountains for a vacation in the near future, but if we allow Him to, God can daily provide the refreshment and perspective we need to energize and sustain us.
Submitted by:
Kelly Lewis
Gracepoint Community Church
Lewis Center, Ohio
One-Year Reading Plan:
1 Chronicles 16:37-18:17
Romans 2:1-24
Psalms 10:16-18
Proverbs 19:8-9
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