Begin at the Beginning

Sometimes the most urgent thing you can do is to take a complete rest.  ~ unknown

Rest …

–noun

1. the refreshing quiet or repose of sleep: a good night’s rest.
2. refreshing ease or inactivity after exertion or labor: to allow an hour for rest.
3. relief or freedom, especially from anything that wearies,troubles, or disturbs.

Dictionary.com makes it sound so simple, huh?  And yet in our world, the addiction to busy-ness and accomplishment render true rest an often illusive dream.

God’s Word tells us:

“Be still and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth” {Psalm 46:10}

When was the last time you were still before God?

Our world, even our church world, has made “busy” the most noble pursuit.  We schedule and plan and fill each slot on our calendar with increasingly good things … and slowly, we become idolators. We worship at the altar of busy.  We lust for the feeling of checking things off our lists and we covet the praise of those who say, “I don’t know how you do it all.”

The beginning of rest is true worship … and, the reverse is true as well, the beginning of worship is true rest. The inextricable link between these two is profound:  “Be still and know that I am God.” As we slow ourselves – from the inside first – we become still and it is there, like Elijah, that we find God in the gentle whisper. {1 Kings 19:11-12}

That whisper is where is starts.  A small touch on our hearts that beckons us come closer … to draw into His presence and dwell.

As we begin this journey to slow, begin with worship.

How has the idolatry of busy affected your life?

 

Read the Psalms this summer with Scripture Dig!

Comments

  1. It sounds weird, but my idol is stress. If I find myself with nothing to stress about, I have no idea what to do! I need to learn to let go…..

    • Kalyn, I’ve never thought about stress like that … but it makes a lot of sense. I imagine many of us are the same way.

Trackbacks

  1. […] Begin at the Beginning … We schedule and plan and fill each slot on our calendar with increasingly good things … and slowly, we become idolators. We worship at the altar of busy.  We lust for the feeling of checking things off our lists and we covet the praise of those who say, “I don’t know how you do it all.” […]

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