"Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop” ~Ovid
The story is told of a lecturer when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, “How heavy is this glass of water?”
Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.
The lecturer replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance.”
In each case, it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes. He continued, “And that’s the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won’t be able to carry on.”
As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.
Renewal and restoration are not luxuries; they are essentials. In the busyness of life, rest is vital for staying sharp and effective. Taking time to be alone is not selfish. It is Christ-like. Jesus Christ said, “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place and rest awhile.” (Mark 6:31)
Rest leads to renewal.
Renewal leads to greater creativity and production.
Remember, activity does not necessarily mean productivity. Stay balanced.
Schedule some time for “restoration.”
Return to your rest, my soul,
for the LORD has been good to you. ~Psalm 116:7
Resting in Jesus...
The story is told of a lecturer when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, “How heavy is this glass of water?”
Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.
The lecturer replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance.”
In each case, it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes. He continued, “And that’s the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won’t be able to carry on.”
As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.
Renewal and restoration are not luxuries; they are essentials. In the busyness of life, rest is vital for staying sharp and effective. Taking time to be alone is not selfish. It is Christ-like. Jesus Christ said, “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place and rest awhile.” (Mark 6:31)
Rest leads to renewal.
Renewal leads to greater creativity and production.
Remember, activity does not necessarily mean productivity. Stay balanced.
Schedule some time for “restoration.”
Return to your rest, my soul,
for the LORD has been good to you. ~Psalm 116:7
Resting in Jesus...
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