Devotion

The Rhythm of Rest
He lets me rest in green meadows; He leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to His name. --- Psalms 23:2-3


Let's be honest. There are very few of us working and retired folks who have a healthy rhythm in our work and rest activities. While working for the dollar, we’ll choose the opportunity of making overtime over getting some rest. In retirement, we somehow get swallowed into handling the responsibilities of others who don’t make time to handle such matters themselves. When we put more time in with one and not the other, there is no balance and certainly no rhythm to our living. Our employment is important - yes - but our homes are the headquarters of family, and family life is of extreme importance to God. What good does it do us when we give our all to making sure things stay on point and ahead at the job, but everything at home is unattended to? And to retire to the life of being further tired out all of the time - what sense does that make? Frustrated loved ones and neglected responsibilities are evidence of imbalance...no rhythm, no rest...no honor to God. The world's way of managing work and rest is different from the way Jesus intended it to be. When we realize that resting is just as productive - and sometimes even more so than working - we can change the way we manage our work life and home life so that rest time becomes a natural part of our rhythm. Are you guilty of overextending yourself?   Take some time this weekend to reevaluate how much time you invest in your work, your retirement, and your rest. Ask the Lord to guide you in making adjustments so that you may establish a lifestyle that incorporates the rhythm of rest to help restore and maintain balance to your life.