The world will not Fall Apart if you Take a Rest

“Oh, God, thou hast made us for Thyself,
and our hearts find no rest until they rest in Thee.” (St. Augustine)

According to a Greek legend, in ancient Athens a man noticed the great storyteller Aesop playing childish games with some little boys. He laughed and jeered at Aesop, asking him why he wasted his time in such frivolous activity.

Aesop responded by picking up a bow, loosening its string, and placing it on the ground. Then he said to the critical Athenian,

“Now answer this riddle, if you can. Tell us what the unstrung bow implies.”

The man looked at it for several moments but had no idea what point Aesop was trying to make. Aesop explained,

“If you keep a bow always bent, it will break eventually; but if you let it go slack, it will be more fit for use when you want it.”

People are also like that. That’s why we all need to take time to rest. Jesus understood the needs and limitations of his disciples and took them away for a break. The Scriptures says,

“...Jesus said, ‘Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.’ He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.” (Mark 6:31NLT)

Hey, even God rested (he also declared it, you know), why do you think you shouldn’t do the same?

“The creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.” (Genesis 2:1-3NLT)

THINK BIG Take time to rest. START SMALL How about taking a rest trip this weekend; alone or with a partner? GO DEEP Hey, a full life comes from work and rest… plus, I’m pretty sure that the world will not fall apart if you take a rest… oh yes, I’m sure.

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Note:

In Genesis 2:2 “finished… rested…” means God rested on the seventh day, not because he was weary, but because nothing formless or empty remained. His creative work was completed – and it was totally effective, absolutely perfect, “very good” (1:31). It did not have to be repeated, repaired or revised, and the Creator rested to commemorate it. [Zondervan NIV Study Bible (Fully Revised), footnote page 7]