Day 78 "Busyness is not next to Godliness."

Day 78

Matthew 9:27-31 When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, "Son of David, have mercy on us!" And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord." Then he touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith let it be to you." And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, "See that no one knows it." But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in that country.

The most accepted school of thought for Jesus not wanting the blind men to tell others of their healing was that Jesus desired and needed time for prayer and rest. He genuinely needed to be refueled. Some would say, “But He is God, he doesn't get tired or need to take a break.” But to them I would say, “You need to read Genesis 2:2 where God, upon completion of His work, rested or Exodus 20:8 where God instructs us as a commandment to rest and spend time with Him.”

I feel the greatest danger facing believers today is the lack of rest and refreshment in Christ. We go and go, doing more and more "for the Lord;" saying things like, "The time is short" or "Someone has to get it done," and so on, all supposedly because God has told us to. However, God is not a liar, He does not go against His Word, and He has instructed us to take a break on a regular basis. Jesus knew that there were people in the region who needed His help. More than anyone, He knew His time was short, yet even He knew the need for rest.

Believers, in general, have always wanted the pastors at their beck and call, after all, who pays their salary? Shouldn't they be there when we need them? The answer, by the way, is “No.” Sorry to shock some of you, but blessed to educate–God is always there! He has promised to never leave nor forsake you and the pastors and leaders of the Church He has sent to train and equip the body. The burdens of the Church, or the body–those belong to God. Leaders who carry the load without rest are leaders who are operating in the flesh, and while the body may think they are receiving deep spiritual counsel, they are all too often receiving a shallow fleshly response. In Acts 6:2, the disciples made a very strong and accurate statement regarding leadership in the Church: "It is not desirable that we should leave the Word of God and serve tables." And later, in verse 4, they go on to say, "But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word." The true purpose of the pastor is to lead the Church in the study of the Word and in prayer; there are others who are to perform the business of the ministry, which, by the way, includes caring for the body and its members.

Without the study of the Word and prayer, we as leaders are not fulfilling the role that God has called us to, yet all too often we find ourselves doing the exact opposite, present company included. If you are a leader, learn to lead by example by following the best example, which is those of Christ and God our creator; take the time to rest; and remember to focus on your part of the ministry. If you are a member of the body, pray for your pastors and encourage others as you yourself learn to seek first the Lord, partake in rest, and don't have unrealistic or nonbiblical expectations of your pastor(s). If God needs a break, then surely we, as beings of flesh, need more than He.

Daily Prayer: Father, help us to remember to take the time to rest in You, and Father, may we also allow our leaders to do the same. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

"Busyness is not next to Godliness."

Pastor Gene Burroughs