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7 Absolutes in the Bible That Call for a Celebration

By
Kim Brightness
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absolutes in the bible

There Are No Real Absolutes in Life. Really?

Always, never, nothing, all, everything, best, worst. Typically, when we think about absolutes, teammates, we think about those rigid, inflexible words people use to describe situations or others.  The latter case, when used in a negative context, “always” strikes a nerve, doesn’t it?

Consider… Have you ever been in a heated discussion with someone and they said, “You always {insert your current mistake}”? Or, do you have a friend or a loved one who is the consummate pessimist who believes things will never ever work, or something will always go wrong?

The good news is, life is rarely 100% one way, every day, all the time, forever.

Or, is it? Enter the Word of God.

Blessed Absolutes in the Bible

bible versesBecause our lives are driven by Kingdom principles and not societal norms or constraints, followers of Christ can have a totally different view on absolutes. Why? Mainly because our playbook, the Bible, is filled with them.

There are some absolutes in the Bible that give us pause, while others are just the encouragement we need when life’s negative absolutes are whispered by the enemy:

You will never _____________.
You will always be __________.
Your only option is to _________.

But thanks be to God, there’s a blessed absolute for every negative word spoken to us or over our circumstances.

I want you to remember these seven absolutes in the Bible that are yours to cherish, hang on to, and celebrate as you walk out the purpose and plan God has for your life.

1. He shall NEVER suffer the righteous to be moved (Psalm 55:22).

In this verse, we are admonished to cast our burdens on the Lord with the 100% absolute guarantee that God will sustain us. When He sustains us, we can rest assured that we will be supported and nourished; God will never allow His people to slip or be shaken up. He’s got us and everything that concerns us under His watchful eye and careful hands.

2. God will wipe EVERY tear from our eyes (Revelation 21:4).

Torrential rain has fallen in all of our lives. It doesn’t matter what burden, heartache, or grief we have experienced that has caused us to weep. Every last one of our tears will be wiped away and our mourning will ultimately turn into dancing (Psalm 30:11). Think about how close God has to be to us to “wipe” the tears from our eyes! Not one drop will escape, be forgotten, nor unhealed.

3. God ALWAYS causes us to triumph (2 Corinthians 2:14).

Team, winning and losing is all a matter of perspective. When we choose to see life’s circumstances through the lens of God’s purpose and glory, we will understand that losing is not a part of our vocabulary nor is it a part of our life with God. Always means always to our undefeated God, and we are His undefeated children.

4. NO good thing will He withhold (Psalm 84:11).

There’s great benefit in walking upright before God. When we do, we are 100% guaranteed that NO good thing will He keep from us. You never have to go around thinking why won’t God allow me to have this good thing. When our lives align with His Word, if we don’t have access to it, we are assured that God’s protection is at play from people, places, and things that are not good for us. All of His blessings are good and add no sorrow.

5. To the ONLY wise God our Savior (Jude 1:25).

There is only one true and living God, to whom no man comes to but by Jesus Christ (John 14:6). This absolute verse assures us that we are in the best company. There is no other god that we should look for, seek to worship, no greater god besides our Creator. He is our one and our Only.

6. I will NEVER leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).

In this absolute verse, we have one of the best reasons to celebrate. Feeling alone in this human flesh can wreak havoc on our minds and our bodies. But, here’s the good news – there are no conditions or excuses to never. So, we can trust God at 100% that He isn’t looking for any! When He says He will never leave us, this absolute promise melts away our fears of abandonment and thoughts that God will throw us away because of what we’ve done. NEVER, He said! And better yet, He will never be present with us but emotionally distant or petty.

7. ALL things work together for good (Romans 8:28).

I couldn’t resist this treasured absolute Bible verse. All means all. One hundred percent. The laughter and tears, joys and pains. Everything. All things are at work in our lives for good, to all of us who love God and called to His purpose – not ours. So, whenever you question situations in life, e.g., “What was that all about?”, know that the situation was simply clocking in to go to work for the good in your life.

So, What’s the PlayCall?

Embrace God’s treasured absolutes and don’t diminish them in any way. If God says “all”, stick with “all”. If He says “never”, don’t try to come up with exceptions. God said what He said, and with that, we are so grateful for His 100% guaranteed promises.

 

What are some of the other absolutes in the Bible that bring YOU joy? Tell us in the comments!

Paychecks with a Purpose: Ministries Help Job Seekers

By
Christianity Today
-

No one dreams of seeking work after retirement, but sometimes a pension isn’t enough. West Virginian Henry Shinn, 61, found himself there last year as the COVID-19 pandemic wracked the nation.

With nothing but an unlikely product design brewing in his mind, he approached Crea Company—a faith-based organization that works with creators to bring their ideas to life.

Within months, Crea Company had helped him formulate a plan and secure the machines and materials necessary to launch West Virginia Trail Chips. The company produces durable wooden tokens in the form of unique, collection-worthy business cards. Shinn now earns a steady income from his part-time business, working from home and creating his products in the Crea workshop for an affordable monthly fee.

Crea’s mission-based framework to provide a “future that inspires hope” for West Virginians is one example of how Christians are helping one another through unsteady economic times and job difficulties.

Bonus? It comes with the perk of built-in coworkers. Fellow creators, who also believe in the Christian mission of the local “makerspace,” are there to ask questions, give advice, and offer direction.

“You are just more apt to be friendly and helpful in that kind of environment,” Shinn said in an interview with Christianity Today.

Crea cofounder Travis Lowe, who also pastors Crossroads Church in Bluefield, West Virginia, saw interest rise soon after the pandemic spawned. After starting Crea in 2019, its purpose shifted to meet the community’s needs as the pandemic hit.

“Our original model,” said Lowe, “was to offer community groups [the opportunity for] maker classes—like, come make a doormat …

Continue reading…

When Christians Are On Both Sides, Whose Side is God On?

By
Keiston France
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both sides

Do We Serve a “Both Sides” God?

Have you ever thought about this, teammates? When there are followers of Christ on both sides of a competition, whose side is God on? Think sports, business contracts, job posts… any area of life where there is only one clear winner. And, everyone’s praying to win.

After playing in and coaching thousands of games, I find that I have struggled with this question: Whose team is God on – my team or the other team?

How can God pick sides? If He does pick sides, how does He decide which side to be on? If there are Christians on both teams, then how can God be on both teams? These questions challenge many of us athletes and coaches.

God Never Serves Two Masters. He Performs His Will.

voice of godLet me be honest with you. When I compete, I want God to be solely on my team and not on the other team! However, when we have that mindset, we have it all wrong.

In the Bible, Joshua was the commander of Israel’s army and was preparing his troops for battle against Jericho when the commander of the Lord’s army appeared to him. When Joshua asked him whose side he was on, the commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Neither.”

Does this mean that God doesn’t take sides? Not necessarily. God is always on the side of His will and His glory. God is strategic, just, and wise to watch over and protect His Word (Jeremiah 1:12), cause us to triumph according to His will (2 Corinthians 2:14), and honor His promises.

However, there is another point to remember. It’s not whether the Lord is on our team or their team; it’s whether or not WE are on God’s team! When we compete, we need to first recognize that we are on Team Jesus, not the other way around.

It is human nature to want God to stand on our sideline. However, God wants us to be on His side only!

So, What’s Play Call?

  1. How and where can you apply the concept of being on God’s team (not God being on your team) in the future?
  2. What impact could this make if everyone on your side understood this concept?
  3. Why is it so difficult for us to remember that God’s team is the only team that matters?

Lord, help me to remember that when I compete, I am on Your team and it’s not about You being on my team. Give me the proper mindset to play for You. Every time I step onto the field of competition, I will wear Your uniform, I will wear your number, and I will run your plays. Amen.

 

Preparing for God’s Next Move, Whatever It Is

By
Jeannette Tyson
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preparing for God

There’s a recurring theme in this season, and many who walk in the spirit are hearing the same spiritual “whispers” – e.g. preparation, acceleration, and expectation. This all points to divine alignment and harvest up ahead.

Sometimes, we don’t have an understanding of what all this means. We wonder if we are in the right place to receive the scheduled outpour of God. In our zeal, we can sometimes rush into things, or on the other hand, we become lackadaisical towards these messages.

The Bible tells us in 1 Peter 1:13: “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ”.  I heard Joyce Meyer say, “God is never late, but He’s rarely early.” It’s clear that timing is everything.

What are you preparing for? In my case, I am in a position where I’m waiting to receive my next assignment from God. I know that my current job is not all He has for me, and while I am very grateful, I know there’s more. I have a few business ideas that I petitioned God about, but all I keep hearing is prepare, get ready.

What Shall We Do, Lord?

god's moveWhen we get a Word like this, we feel the need to act in some way. We need to do something – or do we?

I was praying to God about that and thought, “Well, God, how can I prepare for something I don’t know about?”

God told me that I need to prepare to hear from Him.

Well, that’s a little ambiguous. But, I had to admit that I do need to make more of a conscious effort to listen for God.

Most of the time when I’ve heard from the Lord, I asked a direct question. Other times, it would be like an intuition or gut feeling where my spirit would warn or inform me. But, I’ve never gone through my day just listening for God.  It was one of those moments like when someone says, “Yep, it’s on the way, listen out for it!” and then we’re on guard with our antennas up.

Now, typical me – I overanalyze everything. So, I start to think “Well, am I doing enough to position myself to hear from the Lord?”

It got me to thinking about ways that we can be sure. So many times, we randomly throw prayers up, then walk away without taking the time to actually listen for the response. Or, if we do listen for the response after praying and we don’t get it right away, we go on about our business and forget all about it. When I realized this truth, it woke me up to the fact that I should always listen for God and look for Him in everything I do –  not just during prayer time.

In the early Biblical days, the kings and prophets would seek God for everything and they waited for His answer. They depended on it!  I can’t speak for anyone else, but it took me some time to get to this point. I used to feel like as long as I was a believer and had good character, I could pretty much live wherever, work wherever, and so forth. Yes, we certainly have free will, but God’s best for you is in His will.

Acts of Preparation

If you are feeling the tug to get ready for what’s next, but you’re not sure how to do that, may I share a few practical tips with you?

  1. Keep your mind clear and immediately cancel all negative thoughts. When I started my pursuit of discerning the voice of God apart from my own, I would actually practice emptying my mind of all thoughts. I think a lot so this was a challenge. For example, I can be talking to someone while simultaneously making a mental to-do list. But, after working at it consistently, it got easier and now I can clear my mind at will.
  2. Listen intently throughout your day with expectation. If you’re in a conversation with someone, you have to listen, right? It’s the same with God. There is a misconception that God speaks in a thunderous, spectacular way all the time – and that’s not true. The scary thing is that if we’re not paying attention, we can miss what His still small voice is saying!
  3. Keep a journal handy. Write down everything, then take it into prayer. If you’re not used to hearing from the Lord, you may question some of what you’re hearing and you should! The Bible says test every spirit because the devil wants to confuse you (1 John 4:1).
  4. Live peaceably with all (Romans 12:18). Avoid conflict, strife, and discord (Proverbs 17:14) A life at peace is better equipped to hear from God, and follow His steps to the next level. Strife and discord are tools of distraction from our enemy.
  5. Cultivate the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). We are always learning and growing. Continue doing the work of producing more love, joy, peace, faith, and other fruits of the Spirit. Make your harvest beautiful through continued obedience to God’s word.

So often we reject the process and try to take shortcuts. It’s challenging to go through the growth period and make the necessary sacrifices to get to that next dispensation – but this is the most important part. I personally had to mature in this area. I rebelled against preparation; I was always stressed, late, and running around like a chicken with my head cut off. God told me that if you take time to prepare, you’ll be able to enjoy the journey. He said the reason why I used to jump from project to project was because I’d wear myself out performing tasks I hadn’t prepared for!

The Bible says in Proverbs 24:27: “Prepare your work outside, get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house.”

Preparation is godly, Team. Let’s stay on point and get ready for what the Lord is doing.

So, What’s The Play Call?

  • Believe your answer or your breakthrough is on the way (Isaiah 65:24); EXPECT it!
  • Be sure to guard your heart as you hear God and prepare (Proverbs 4:23).
  • Consistently listen for God’s voice – in everything (John 10:27).
  • Do not despise small (or slow) beginnings (Zechariah 4:10).

 

Should Christians Participate in the Day of the Dead?

By
Christianity Today
-

The Day of the Dead? It’s a No For Us.

El Día de los Muertos, translated as the Day of the Dead, is a Mexican holiday also celebrated in many US communities. It has roots both in the Catholic observances of All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days and in indigenous Mexican beliefs about the dead.

According to the ancient religion of Mexico, Day of the Dead traditions help the spirits of the dead return to their families, keeping them happy and forestalling the difficulties the dead could inflict on the living. Celebrations vary by region, but they have much in common: altars with offerings to dead relatives, skull-shaped sugar candies, marigolds, incense, votives, and food; candlelit cemeteries; tissue-paper cutouts; and calaverita (“little skull”) decorations everywhere.

CT asked Christians who’ve been in ministry in places where the Day of the Dead is celebrated, “Can Christians participate in good conscience? If so, how?”

Sally Isáis (Mexico City, Mexico): Christians shouldn’t participate at all, given the nature of the holiday.

Every mid-October before the Day of the Dead, my parents would receive a note from my Mexico City school saying, “If your daughter does not bring her part for the classroom offering, she will flunk civics class.”

My mother would say, “I am sorry, but as evangelical Christians, we cannot be part of this celebration, even if it means Sally will not pass the course.” She would then ask the teacher if there was any way that I could make up for not participating. Some years I flunked the course, and other years I was allowed to present another project. My peers were always upset that I would not do my part to decorate the class altar to the dead. My children had similar …

Continue reading…

4 Ways to Keep Your Validators From Drowning Out the Holy Spirit

By
Kim Brightness
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negative influence

I’m a geek who loves coding. My life-long romance with computer code started in the 9th grade with Ms. Meeks, a burly, no-nonsense woman who taught me how to make “Hello world” scroll on the screen per my written instruction.

That’s all code is – the instruction for what a system should do and when, where, how to do it.

But, sometimes my code was broken; it wouldn’t work at all or it didn’t work in the manner I intended. That’s when it was time to run my code through a validator.

See, a validator is another computer program that checks the syntax (did I follow the rules) and validity of your code. It usually returns “all clear” or red flags to show you where your code went wrong.

In many ways, the Holy Spirit is the Holy Validator for the body of Christ. When we’re executing the commandments of God (code), or falling short of doing so, the Holy Spirit leads and guides us into all truth so that God’s instructions can execute properly (John 16:13).

Bottom line, validators matter.

There Are Not-So-New Validators in Town

holy spirit

Being the counterfeit he is, the enemy has his own set of validators. And, they don’t look or operate as you may think.

There are family, friends, influencers, media strategically staged throughout our lives that, knowingly or unknowingly, operate as vile validators. When we’re about to make a bad decision, they’re right there to co-sign it and nudge us on. When there’s good we want to do, they’re right there in our ear saying, “that’s a bad idea.”

Now, you may think that the word vile is a little strong but just think of the damage that one wrong validation can do to your purpose or destiny.

What’s the worse that can happen when you run your thoughts, choices, decisions (code) through a perverted, vile validator?

‘Positive Validations’ That Had Negative Consequences

There are many examples in the Bible of how listening to the wrong voice – even for what was believed to be the right reasons – can cost you everything; take a look at these vile validations:

  • “You won’t surely die.” – the serpent to Eve in the garden (Genesis 3:4)
  • “Lie and keep part of the money for yourself, Paul won’t know…” – Satan’s influence on Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11)
  • “Go and sleep with my maid…” – Sarah suggesting to Abraham to sleep with Hagar to “help” fulfill God’s promise of a son (Genesis 16:2)
  • “You brought us out of Egypt to kill us here in the wilderness and make us your subjects…” – Dathan and Abiram validating Korah’s rebellion against Moses (which resulted in their deaths in Numbers 16:12-32)

The reason why some validations are so dangerous is that they affirm and validate what our flesh already wants to do. Depending on how strong the desire, all some of us need is one person in our “amen corner.” Some agreement with our decisions or behaviors is cloaked in perversion to validate our wrong thinking and actions.

How can we know the difference?

So, What’s the Play Call?

How to Keep God’s Validator, the Holy Spirit, from Being Drowned Out?

  1. Root yourself in the Truth, Jesus Christ, and the Word of God. Give the final say to God through your pursuit of sound doctrine. Study God’s Word, asking the Holy Spirit to help you rightly divide what you read and are taught (Psalm 119:89).
  2. Ask God to reveal if you have itching ears. After practicing #1, the Holy Spirit will guide you into truth as to whether your desires are of God or your flesh. Are you too happy to receive the validations of others? Do the validations of others preclude any further prayer and supplication to God, as if the validators have the last word (2 Timothy 4:3)?
  3. Stop ignoring the voice of the Holy Spirit. On the outside, you’re smiling, happy, moving in the direction of destruction. But, on the inside, your stomach is in a knot, you can’t sleep at night, you have no peace. Heed these warnings of God and seek His face (1 Corinthians 2:11-12). Turn away from that evil course quickly!
  4. Accept that there is no safety in numbers against God. A trick the enemy will play with you is that – you’ll receive confirmation after confirmation, validation after validation to go against Christ and the will of God. There is no safety in numbers! Don’t believe for a second that “all these people can’t be wrong!” Remember, BROAD is the way that leads to destruction; there may be many people on the path, but the path still leads to death (Matthew 7:13).

In these last days, there will be more and more validators rising up to co-sign, validate, and affirm sin, destruction, and all manner of evil. Guard your hearts and your minds, teammates.

“Colin In Black & White”: The Black and White Prototype of Crazy Faith

By
Kim Brightness
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“Colin in Black & White” Reveals the Crazy Faith Needed to Live on Purpose

Colin in Black and WhiteWhat if you, and only you, fully understood your God-given purpose in life? What if you understand your assignment and you’ve got the answers, but everyone around you, including those you love, wants to switch your test paper?

What does it take to stay the course? Yep, faith. Crazy faith. The kind of faith that makes you look stupid and keeps everyone scratching their heads as you stubbornly press toward the mark – as Colin Kaepernick did.

In Netflix’s COLIN IN BLACK & WHITE, we catch a glimpse of Colin Kaepernick’s coming of age story as a biracial boy adopted by white parents in pursuit of his dream to be a quarterback, all while tackling the harsh realities of racism and discrimination.

Don’t Allow a Bad Beginning and a Tough Middle to Dictate Your Ending

Colin in Black and White
Colin in Black & White. (L to R) Mary-Louise Parker as Teresa, Nick Offerman as Rick Kaepernick, Jaden Michael as Young Colin in episode 103 of Colin in Black & White. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2021

As the series begins, we observe Kaepernick’s beginning as an adopted baby. Many will see his life beginning with rejection by his biological parents. Why didn’t Colin make his biological family’s team? Even during the adoption process, Kaepernick was not a “first-round” pick, but an alternative choice at best.

As the series shifts to focus on the promising athlete’s high school years, a young Colin, starring Jaden Michael, begins his daunting journey to quarterback land filled with every obstacle imaginable.

Growing up in conservative Turlock, CA, raised by loving, well-meaning, yet culturally inept white parents (Mary-Louise Parker as Teresa and Nick Offerman as Rick Kaepernick), young Kaepernick finds himself in a constant battle to prove his worth and that he belongs where his passion leads him – to realize his dream to be a quarterback.

As Colin Kaepernick both narrates and observes his own journey on walls of screens around him, we watch with him as young Kaepernick is forced to “wait his turn” as less-talented athletes who fit the perceived prototype of quarterback (white) ascend to the position. We watch the constant barrage of rejection, snide comments, discrimination as young Kaepernick is treated differently from his white teammates. We witness Kaepernick’s greatness as a baseball player and his experienced, trusted advisors pushing him to give up his quarterback dream and pursue what he’s “really” good at.

As the 6-part series progresses, Kaepernick’s rejections build. Hundreds of decline letters hit his mailbox. “Not yet” becomes his go-to mantra in response to the naysayers. It begins to bog the mind how such a young man maintains his pursuit and stands firm on what he believes with so many contrary voices around him.

Colin in Black and White
Colin in Black & White. (L to R) Mary-Louise Parker as Teresa, Jaden Michael as Young Colin in episode 105 of Colin in Black & White. Cr. Ser Baffo/Netflix © 2021

The Realities of Racism

In COLIN IN BLACK & WHITE, we also see the awkwardness of yearning to embrace your culture while guided by parents who have never been exposed to it, and facing a societal system that hates it.

Viewers of faith will come to understand the differences in black and white culture and, while earthly culture doesn’t supersede Kingdom culture, how the gift of our God-given race is important to how we move and demonstrate our humanity in this world.

Team Jesus Question: How does God expect you to “do life” and interact with others in the “skin” and culture you’re in?

Kaepernick’s longing to embrace his black culture – from hairstyles to food – was a natural part of him. Hopefully, the series will make it easier to empathize with black people, who are simply and naturally born in the skin, hair, culture chosen by God, as they navigate through centuries of systemic racism, discrimination, and micro-aggressions.

The parallels of slavery and the NFL in the series may jar many, but are the comparisons off by much?

Be the Prototype of Faith, Don’t Give Up at “Not Yet”

What does a faith-filled person look like to you? While we have examples in Hebrews Chapter 11 of Abraham, Moses, even Rahab the harlot, what can be learned from COLIN IN BLACK & WHITE? What plays would Colin Kaepernick call as the quarterback in this game called life, where faith and belief are must-haves to cross the goal line of purpose? Here are a few takeaways:

1. What you start out as is not necessarily what you become.

Your life may start filled with rejection – but you were chosen by God for the assignment on your life. You may start from a losing position, but you can still end up a winner.

2. Don’t shut up and listen, listen.

You are more than a receptacle for others to dump their negative words. Know who (and whose) you are and speak up for yourself. Hear what others say, but discern what they mean.

3. Life is too short to live someone else’s dream.

Will you spend your time doing what everyone thinks is best for you, or will you go after God’s purpose for your life with all you’ve got? Life is too short to live their version of life for you and God’s version.

Bring your frustrations and fatigue with every “Not yet” in your life, and find inspiration as you watch COLIN IN BLACK & WHITE available Friday, October 29 only on Netflix.

The Body of Christ Is On the Same Team, Team Jesus

By
Christianity Today
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Hard as it is to believe, Christians have everything they need to “be one.”

I played softball in a community league when I was a teenager. A few of us went to the same school, but we didn’t know each other the first time we stepped out under the lights together. We were strangers in gray polyester uniforms and orange baseball caps. From a distance, you couldn’t tell one girl from another.

At the start of our opening game, there was a palpable feeling of possibility. My teammates were talented, and the coach was tough. As he invested time watching us throughout the season, he positioned and repositioned us in different roles, playing to our individual strengths. As each player lived into her giftedness, there was more synergy and success. We even won a few games.

Today, instead of feeling like a single team with diversely gifted players, we find ourselves in a cultural moment where it often feels we’re on different teams altogether. This is true in society at large, and sadly, it seems just as true inside the church.

There are justifiable reasons for division. We have defensible attachments tied to our beliefs. We’ve developed hard-earned and sophisticated ways of managing our fears and preferences, and we want to protect them.

But there was a time when the church was like a brand-new softball team, stepping out onto fresh-cut grass in late summer, individual differences obscured by what they were as a whole: “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit. … They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. … All the believers were together and had everything in common” (Acts 2:4, 42, 44).

Those early believers did not wear gray and orange polyester, but they were nonetheless marked by distinct …

Continue reading…

4 Reasons to Make Rest a Priority in Your Life

By
Team Jesus
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make rest a priority

Get Some Rest, Just Like God

labor day

Dear Team,

What comes to your mind when you think of resting?

Maybe it’s sunshine, swimming pools, the beach, fishing, golf, walks by the water, taking a vacation, going to camp, ice cream, good food, and much more!

Of course, the way we answer that beginning question is dependent upon what we have going on and what season of life we are in. But, for all of us, at some point, we hopefully have some type of intentional rest carved into our lives.

We ALL NEED to get away and rest! We also just need to take some time to rest during our normal schedules and on the weekends. Unfortunately, this is something a lot of us are not very good at. Culture often feeds us the lie that we aren’t living to the fullest if we aren’t going non-stop, filling up our calendars, and constantly working long hours.

When we look at how God created us and placed things in order, we see a different model. 

Key Principles on Rest to Encourage Your Heart

make rest a priority

1. Rest does not mean weakness.

At times, we may all think that if we take a day off, turn off our phones, get away for the weekend, or go to bed a little early, that we are being weak. We may think, “I’m a strong person because I work hard and constantly stay after it!”

Yes, you may be. And, you should work hard. But, just because you take some time to yourself, doesn’t mean you aren’t a strong person. I would say that when you take time to rest, you are actually making yourself a stronger person because you are recognizing that if you are going to give your life 100%, as you should, you first have to be fueled up and re-energized through rest.

2. We aren’t meant to go non-stop.

I’ve seen people work themselves so hard that they eventually found themselves burnt out, depressed, or spread so thin that it began to take a negative toll on them physically, emotionally, and even spiritually.

Don’t get me wrong, I recognize that there are seasons of life where we will just be busy. Sometimes, you can do nothing about that. There will be days when you have to work long hours, get up extra early, stay late, and put in overtime. The issue though is when that becomes your normal way of living.

There is a difference in living in a season, yet understanding that you can’t stay in that season, and just living in a state of non-stop going. We were created to be able to function with a certain capacity. Once we have hit that capacity, we should then take the cue to rest.

3. It’s okay to say ‘no’ sometimes.

This one is so hard for me. Naturally, I’m a people-pleaser. I remember times in the past in ministry, where I would say yes to everything I was asked or nudged to do. My thought was, “Well if I’m going to be effective in ministry and truly grow, I need to learn to do everything. I don’t want to let them down.”

There is obviously great benefit with having different experiences and exposure to various things, but you can’t do it all, all the time time, every time!

We may have a hard time saying no to a social event, volunteer opportunity or a task someone wants us to do. But, you can’t do everything! Not every good opportunity is a God opportunity.

4. Small decisions to rest now will pay off in the future.

Wherever we may find ourselves, we can establish some of these principles now. It doesn’t matter our age or what we’ve done. One of the things I love about the gift of life is that tomorrow is a new day!

As long as the Lord wills, we have a new opportunity to establish some healthy rhythms in our lives. Even if it may seem small, it will pay off. Small changes in our rest habits over time can change our lives and help us define our new-normal moving forward. Try making small adjustments now – stick to them and see how they help you.

So, What’s the Play Call?

I believe we should rest consistently for many reasons, but ultimately, God commands us to. As a Christian, I believe that God set things in place for a reason – one being our work rhythms and the amount of activity we are able to handle. We see this being put into place in the creation account from the very beginning in the Old Testament.

Genesis 2:2-3 says:

“And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.”

There are so many passages of Scripture that speak to the importance of rest in various ways: Hebrews 4, Matthew 11, Psalm 4, 23, 34, 62, Deuteronomy 5, Mark 6, Philippians 4.

At the end of the day, I hope you found these words encouraging, and you make rest a priority. Maybe even begin some new rhythms in your life that you can incorporate into your weekly rhythm.

Let’s honor and worship God through our rest. Get some rest real soon and enjoy it!

—

Matthew Weaver is a Christ-follower, husband, friend, adventurer, speaker-preacher, blogger & pastor. Visit his blog at https://mweav.com.

Haiti Negotiates with Gang, $1 Million Ransom for Each Kidnapped Missionary

By
Christianity Today
-

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Negotiations stretched into a fifth day seeking the return of 17 members of a US-based missionary group kidnapped over the weekend by a violent gang that is demanding $1 million ransom per person.

The group includes five children whose ages range from 8 months to 15 years, although authorities were not clear whether the ransom amount included them, a top Haitian official said Tuesday. Sixteen of the abductees are Americans and one Canadian.

The abduction is one of at least 119 kidnappings recorded in Haiti for the first half of October, according to the Center of Analysis and Research of Human Rights, a local nonprofit group. It said a Haitian driver was abducted along with the missionaries, bringing the total to 18 people taken by the gang.

The Haitian official, who was not authorized to speak to the press, told The Associated Press that someone from the 400 Mawozo gang made the ransom demand Saturday in a call to a leader of the Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries (CAM) shortly after the abduction.

“This group of workers has been committed to minister throughout poverty-stricken Haiti,” the Ohio group said, adding that the missionaries—who were returning from visiting an orphanage when they were abducted—worked most recently on a project to help rebuild homes lost in a magnitude-7.2 earthquake that struck southwestern Haiti on August 14.

Yesterday, CAM asked for prayer, stating:

Today, we again commit our workers to God’s care. “For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways” (Psalm 91:11). Pray that our workers could respond to hatred with Jesus’ love, overcome the spirit of fear with faith, and face violence with a genuine …

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