Rest and relaxation is not unproductive. It is the unseen root system that nourishes our productivity.

The Importance of Rest = The Importance of YOU

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00:00:03.220]
I feel very much that I’m preaching to myself this morning because I’m guilty of being over busy, but I want to talk about the importance of rest today and finding time out. Yeah, and creative people, entrepreneurial people, people who are very much who very much believe that they are able to make a difference in the world, sometimes find it hard to switch off. And and it’s often because I work and play or our passion and what we do and the pursuits, our passion and pursuits are often one in the same, you know, our art and our life is so connected that it can be really difficult to switch off.

00:00:51.030]
I mean, I don’t know if you can can relate. I mean, I’m chronic with this, you know, and it’s just I have to keep reminding myself of the importance of rest and that there is a well that we can drink from that will refresh our creative endeavors as much as we would like to think it possible. Batteries will deplete if we don’t plug in to a source and allow ourselves to be recharged. And God has given us a number of different ways to do this.

00:01:27.010]
There’s obviously prayer where we can plug in and receive and there is this thing called rest in. And, you know, we should really treasure those moments where we unplug from all of our business and plug in to a source that can replenish, refresh, revitalise and kind of bring our creative juices back to full, you know. And I think that, as I’ve said, creative entrepreneurs often find it difficult to switch off, you know, and we’ve kind of swallowed the lie that we should always be.

00:02:13.150]
And I put this in inverted commas, productive, that inactivity somehow is unproductive, that massive action burning the candle hussle, compulsory rites of passage, and that somehow rest and relaxation I like shoved right to the very bottom of the list. And yet rest is the unseen root system that actually nourishes our productivity. And I love the way that that father wave rest into the very fabric of human life. I mean, every day we have to close our eyes and shut down.

00:02:57.670]
But he also, like, baked in this concept of Sabbath. And, you know, even after and I’d like God does not get tired. Let’s face it, he is quite different to us. He doesn’t have the same limited capacities. And yet after the most humungous creative outburst in all of history yet of flinging planets into orbit, orbit and the like, God rested to enjoy all he had made. Scripture tells us that God saw everything he had made and behold, it was very good.

00:03:36.820]
And the morning and the evening were the sixth day, and then the heavens and the earth were finished and the host of them. And on the seventh day he ended his work and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had made. And he blessed it and sanctified it because he rested from all his work that he created and made. And I think that the lesson, or certainly one lesson that we can find here is that rest equals appreciation.

00:04:06.790]
You know, when was the last time you stopped to appreciate your accomplishments, to celebrate your victories, however small or large they may be? You know, every day in the call of the day when the heat of the day was over, you would find papa walking in the garden with his son, with his daughter, taking time with his friends and family in Genesis three eight to teaches us that they heard the voice of God walking in the garden in the cool of the day.

00:04:35.110]
I’m sure that this was a a daily a daily communion that would take place. And, you know, really, let’s let’s just imagine the kind of conversations that may have been exchanged during those beautiful hours. And so rest doesn’t just mean appreciation, doesn’t just mean stopping and appreciate appreciating how far we’ve come, what we’ve done, you know. And recharging of batteries, rest is equals relationships. And when was the last time you enjoyed some refreshment with your friends?

00:05:13.500]
And I’m terrible with this because unlike so project driven, so outcome oriented, that I sometimes miss the the the deep importance of investing in relationships. I’m ashamed to say it, but it’s true. You know, when was the last time that I and I can ask you the same question, put work aside and engage just in just some childlike frivolity, you know, a rich exchange of hearts with Larna, my wife, my children, you know, that these things that sustain our soul in ways that could never be purchased, you know, they’re not written on paycheques and page views.

00:05:59.610]
They’re absolutely priceless. You know, one of one of my favourite places in the scriptures and as you know, by now, I’ve got many of them. But it’s Hebrews chapter four. I mean, this is just just such a beautiful piece of scripture. And it talks about a rest that we’ve been invited into, not an enforced rest, not a rest. That comes as a result of simply not being able to put one more foot in front of another.

00:06:27.900]
It is an open invitation where God says there remains, therefore a rest for the people of God. Hebrews four nine. And there’s a promise of this this promise and this invitation to cease from all of our craving, proving, running, reaching, you know, the half written novel, you know, the budding blog that we’re doing, the musical manuscript we’re writing, whatever it may be, whatever your project may be, all of them can wait.

00:06:59.130]
Yeah, it’s time to switch off the camera, close the laptops, stop scrolling whatever scroll you are doing, and just take some time out. Step out for a moment. From our incomplete arrangements into our father’s finished symphony drink in his goodness, unhindered by the anxiety that always wants to be doing all the time. It’s really is learning to trust that even though we’ve not completed, even though we ourselves in many ways are not complete, even though we have questions, even though there may be circumstances that are not yet tied up, even though our business may have some leaking, some Lee key points or whatever it may be, all of these things that keep us up at night, you know, there is a place of trust where we can come in and be anxious for nothing, but in all things by prayer and supplication, let our requests be made known to him in a way.

00:08:10.420]
And it’s really in his complete work that we can enjoy feeling complete even in the midst of so many incompletions. Yeah. You know, so sometimes really the destination is the journey itself. I love Hebrews four seven in the message Bible. It says God keeps renewing the promise and setting the date as today the original invitation. I mean, how beautiful is that, that this invitation into the rest of faith is renewed every day and the date resets? I mean, we’re not talking Groundhog Day.

00:08:55.380]
It’s not it’s not like, oh, no, not another day of rest. It’s actually this beautiful invitation that like, hey, I know you’ve got lots to do. I know you’ve got lots to think about. But, hey, now now is the time. Hear my voice today. Now if you will hear his voice and not hard and your hard God is always present to partner with you in what you do and to actually lift and carry and shoulder the burden of it.

00:09:29.010]
Yeah. So rest. Rest is appreciation. Rest is relationships. And rest is also knowing the significance of right now, this moment. You know, don’t allow tomorrow’s hopes or worries to steal the joy of today. Hebrews 47 again today, if you will, hear his voice taking time to switch off, to recharge, refresh, renew, to listen. Taking time to recognise that in all I give in in all of our giving out, sometimes we need to just give in, give up and give over and let Grace go to work on our behalf.

00:10:15.470]
Let me read this verse from Isaiah 64:4. This is the amplified version because it’s it’s just got something beautiful to teach us. It says Fall from of old. No one has heard or perceive by ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides you who works. And this is what I want to draw out at this time, who works and shows himself active on behalf of him, who earnestly waits for him. Isaiah, 64 four in the amplified God actually works and shows himself active when we cease from our own anxious activities.

00:11:02.900]
Praise God for that. You know you are important. So I just encourage you today. Don’t forget to join your father in some cool moments today in the cool of the day. Yeah. Put your shades on and go for a walk with your father. Go for a walk with the king. Yeah. And let his love pour into your heart. Well, thanks for listening. Hopefully it’s been an encouragement to you today. If you want to connect any further, you can do so through my website at Davidleemartin.com.

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Have a great day.