Fired up or Stressed Out?
Dave Faust
If you exercise regularly, eat right, get eight hours of sleep every night, and punctuate every day with periods of quiet worship, you're likely to be healthy—and certain to be unusual. Many Christians today are too worn out to get fired up about anything—even God. Overwork, like gluttony, is a sin we seldom talk about. In fact, we applaud the hardworking overachiever. But at what price?
Overwork distorts our view of God. He "rested from all his work" (Genesis 2:2). Do we?
Overwork disregards the Word of God. The Lord not only told the Israelites, "Six days you shall labor." He also prescribed a day when "you shall not do any work" (Exodus 20:9, 10). When Jesus came, he set aside the legalistic requirements the Jewish people had attached to the Sabbath. But he also said "the Sabbath was made for man" (Mark 2:27), for God intended the Sabbath principle to be a source of blessing and refreshment, not a burden.
Overwork denies the doctrine of grace. Do our frenzied lifestyles demonstrate that we're saved by God's grace, or do they suggest we're trying to earn salvation by our own good works?
Overwork eventually catches up with us. The Lord commanded the Israelites to let their land rest and go untilled every seventh year (Leviticus 25:1-7). This command was widely ignored, however, so eventually God disciplined his people by allowing them to be taken away into 70 years of painful exile. Then, finally, "the land enjoyed its sabbath rests" (2 Chronicles 36:21).
Do you have a "to do" list? Maybe you also need a "to don't" list of things you could stop doing or responsibilities you will no longer accept. Do you have lots of days "on"? You also need some days "off" as an oasis in your busy schedule.
If we don't come apart to rest, we will come apart from stress. In the midst of the most important mission in the history of the world, "Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed" (Luke 5:16). He told his disciples, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest" (Mark 6:31). He said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). He told his frazzled friend Martha, "You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed" (Luke 10:41, 42). Lord, help us find and do that one thing.
This column first appeared in The Lookout on Jan 5, 2003.
Finishing the Race
For years I’ve had a hard time understanding people who run marathons. Why do presumably sane individuals subject themselves to such torture? Why endure the sore muscles, chafed skin, and stressed joints created by running 26.2 miles, some of it uphill? Plus, you won’t win the race unless you happen to be one of those elite runners blessed with antelope legs who glide along the streets as if they were strolling leisurely at the mall.
Don’t Lose Your First Love
If you ever get a chance to visit Ephesus, I encourage you to go there. It’s one of the most impressive archeological sites in the world. In the first century, Ephesus boasted upscale houses with running water, a paved main street that served as a dramatic thoroughfare, and an enormous outdoor theater that seated thousands. These sites have all been excavated for today’s travelers to see.