Jesus’ Balanced Rhythm of Serving

“Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.” (Luke 5:16NLT)

It’s tempting to think that God is most pleased, most happy, and most glad by our constant service. Sometime we serving God (so we said) in a false assumption that the more we work, the more productive we are and the more God will love us. Therefore –we tend to legalize God’s love by doing constant service to gain more heavenly ‘rewards’ and so on. Read what Luke writes about our Lord; “Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.” He withdrew, go aside – OFTEN!

If you read the gospels carefully, you’ll find that Jesus always modeled a life of balance between socializing and solitude, action and reflection, mission and meditation, work and pray. Balance. He often work hard to help others, to performed miracles, to proclaimed the Kingdom of God, to visit others, to performed religious duties, to do discipleship; and then, ya know what? He took time for spiritual renewal. It’s so important that the gospel’s writers also said that he often ‘left in a boat to a remote area to be alone’ (Matthew 14:13) and ‘went up to the mountain to pray’ (Luke 6:12).

He balanced His earthly life by not being driven by human pressures (which some of us are familiar with) and always allowing Himself to remain open to God’s direction and God’s rhythm through prayer and solitude. Doing service is good, the world need it; but don’t keep on your constant service without having time alone with God – balance. It is about keeping the right rhythm (Eugene Peterson’s language ‘rhythm’, I like it!) in life – "not moving so fast that you miss God’s direction, but not moving so slow that you miss the opportunities God sends you", writes Ronald A. Beers. Remember this: Not every opportunity is the call of God. Therefore, as your fellow pilgrim in our walk with God, remember to balance your life and experience God in the process.

Anonymous once writes,
“A Christian worker is good; a worker for Christ is better;
but Christ, in a worker, working out His will through him, is best of all.”

Enjoy serving, enjoy resting! Balance your life. THINK BIG.START SMALL.GO DEEP.