Father, I would ask that You bless our time together. May the words I hear from You resonate with my heart and come forth through my fingers so that they may fall impactfully on the ears of all who read and hear. Amen.
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My life in recent history has lacked sufficient rest. I sleep, but often, it is restless, and I wake up more weary than when my head hits the pillows. There’s much on my plate, and the burden of responsibilities I shoulder truly seems unending.
One could say, “Just say no!” But that is much easier said than done. Many things cannot simply be laid aside – my job and responsibilities at home, and I certainly don’t carry the bulk of that burden, but they all take time and energy.
Here are things – important things – that require my attention. My full-time job driving a school bus – there are morning and afternoon routes, but I also must keep my bus clean. I must maintain my route sheets because they change frequently – who gets picked up, when, and where. Families move in. Families move out. Online training needs to be completed. I take extra-curricular trips to bring in more income, etc.
I pastor three churches. Yes, they all get the same essential components of worship – sermons, hymns, scripture reading, and so on, but individuals from each congregation need ministering to. Some I can interact with on any given Sunday. Others I can text or call. Others need face-to-face interaction outside of our services. There are meetings on a local level and a fair number of things that need to be accomplished on a denominational level.
I sit and write five days a week, ministering to all kinds of people from across the globe. I’ve considered setting it aside, but I cannot escape that so many are impacted by what God gives me. In my first full year of posting on the More Than Useless blog (2016), I had 6,367 views and 3,002 visitors. My best year to date, 2020, I had 15,036 views by 9,171 visitors. I’m sure COVID factored in as there was a decline in 2021 and again in 2022. But this year, I’ve already had more visitors than any given year – 9,438 to date, and am trending to surpass 2020’s views, with 14,294 to date and the rest of November and December to go. (God continues to amaze me with what He can produce through me in all the circumstances in life!)
So, what do I say “no” to?
But honestly, I need rest. We are called to keep the Sabbath. The word sabbath comes from the Hebrew shabbat, meaning “to cease” or “desist.” The primary meaning is that of cessation from all work.
Especially from a ministerial perspective, it isn’t easy to do that. The Sabbath day for others is a necessary workday for me. I realize that I have chosen the life I live. I’ve chosen to be a bi-vocational pastor. To me, the benefits of keeping my finger on the pulse of humanity make a huge difference! I don’t work out of some ivory tower but strive to know and love those around me.
I try to get time away from things. I would pray that when those times of rest come, they will positively impact me and that my rest will be deep and refreshing. May God continue to impact the world through the gifts He has blessed me with. I truly find my rest in Him, and He will surely provide!
So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT
Nov 6th, 2023, Mon, 7:37 pm
