Years ago, I started my own business in web hosting, when that was a newish industry. I was studying in university at the same time, and had always been able to do both, until a server crashed during midterms. I didn’t let either midterms or my clients drop, I simply gave up sleep. It finally caught up with me, and I had to get out of my room and went for a late night walk. I eventually stumbled into a church, exhausted and scared that my business might not recover. I remember the minister listening, then suggesting, “get some rest…then consider, maybe God is trying to tell you something.”
I returned ready to solve my problems. I moved all the customers I could to one server. I ordered new server, then there was nothing I could do but wait. I could only rest.
I felt completely different when I woke up. I could study, I could write papers, I could think, I could fix the problems that caused the crash.
Rest is important!
An estimated 3.3 million Canadians age 15 or older have problems getting enough sleep, which may be affecting their health and quality of life.
A magazine of internal medicine summarized their research. The bottom line is: “sleep serves as an indicator of health and quality of life”
Lack of rest leads to more tension, depression, fatigue and marital strain, at least for women, according to one study of 1,500 women in rural Wisconsin.
And one medical publication found Middle-aged men who were at high risk of heart disease 50% less likely to die of a heart attack over nine years if they took frequent vacations.
We need rest, and we’re not just going to look at physiological reasons, but theological. That our need for rest comes from God himself.
Question: When was your longest stretch of sustained work with no day off? How did it impact you?
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Spiritual real estate agents will tell you to build your life on their teaching, but you need to know if it's sandy or solid.
I'd encourage you to do a spiritual home inspection.
That's the point of the entire Sermon on the Mount: Don’t just look at the outer appearances…religious membership or observances. Your following of certain rules or teachings is like the house on top of a foundation.
Instead, look at the foundation of the whole thing, get under the house and knock some floor joists, check the concrete for cracks.
In life, check your heart and motivations. If your life is in danger of crumbling because someone dies, you get sick, a relationship ends, a stock price falls, a job gets lost, or whatever, then you’ve built on sand.
Our problem is often when we start with the house – investing so much in a beautiful house that can fall over at any point.
The proper way to build is to start with a plumb, level foundation, which equals a plumb and level house, made of individual materials that are plumb and level. It all starts with the foundation.
Thankfully, Jesus says building life on rock is as simple as hearing his words and living them out, intentionally choosing to follow his way of life, making him your foundation.
Then we can build our view of the body, money, career, sexuality, health, relationships, etc. on the basis of that foundation, rather than trying to fit together things that don't belong.
This foundation in life will eventually transform all aspects built on top. But it starts with heart, the foundation.
Challenge: If never intentionally decided to follow Jesus, to build your life on his foundation, invite you to pray for that today. If you have said those words, but know you haven’t followed through with action, pray this as well.
Gracious Father, I realize that you already know me and that you love me. You love me so much that your Son Jesus died for me. I want to make a fresh start with you, to put you at the very centre of my life and to follow you from now on.
Please forgive me for all those things in my past that have come between us. And help me to turn away from whatever would keep me from following you faithfully and consistently in the future. Please help me to grow to know and follow you more and more each day. Help me to grow into the person that you desire me to be. Amen.
Then, please tell me! You can get in touch through our web site or mobile app. If you aren't able to do that, do tell another person in your life who you know is trying to follow Jesus.
