Tag: rest

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No More Duct Tape!

The Manna Chef

I went on a girls’ trip with my sisters last year, and we enjoyed some well-needed sister time.  On the way to one of our excursions, we boarded a tour bus that read, “Unforgettable…the best rides of your life.”  As I got onto the bus, I noticed that across the driver’s side was duct tape!  Yes, Sisters, duct tape was holding our bus together!  We made it to our destination, but I remember thinking, “Lord, please just get us there safely.”  I must say that the ride really was unforgettable though! 

It made me wonder, “How many times have we put duct tape on a situation to just make it through the day?”  You know those days—you are running on almost no sleep, but there is so much to do and everyone is calling on you today for help.  (And you can’t let them down.)  You’re exhausted, but you push through to show up for everyone else—even when your body is telling you to rest.  We know how to keep it moving even when we shouldn’t.  Sisters, you are going through your day with duct tape, trying to make something happen and wearing yourself down in the process.

There is a reason our bodies tell us when to slow down.  Whether or not we want to admit it, we do have limits physically.  We have to learn how to be still and rest.  There is a small, still voice that will direct our every step if we’ll just listen to it.  Ask the Lord for a better strategy to accomplish whatever He wants you to accomplish each day, and then ask Him to accompany you throughout the day.

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For Just a Moment…

The Manna Chef

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.  (Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV)

Sisters, I want you to do something for me—no, do it for you.  For a moment, stop everything and just take a breath, one deep breath. Today, I want you to intentionally rest.  Life is busy; we all know that.  But we need to take time to rest in the Lord, especially when life gets too busy! 

Today, take a break from all those plans, those to-do lists, and that ridiculously long agenda and choose to rest in the arms of your Heavenly Father.  Doesn’t that sound wonderful—to rest safely in His arms?

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Lord, Help Me Find Balance

The Manna Chef

In ministry, and life in general, one of the most important but often neglected matters is maintaining balance.  We are not spiritual super heroes walking around rescuing people.  We have been chosen by God to fulfill a function in the body of Christ, but don’t get it twisted, we are still human.  You are a spirit, possessing a soul, living in a fleshly body—and that body has real limitations. Mark 14:38 reminds us that although our spirit may be willing, our flesh is weak.  We need balance to help us to be effective in the work God has called us to do. 

It’s possible to lose your balance simply because you are overextended.  You can be so busy doing the Lord’s work that you wear yourself out.  God doesn’t get the glory out of you wearing yourself down.  He wants relationship with you more than seeing your name on the roster of 20 different church ministries.  Learn to say no.  If God hasn’t instructed you to do something, you’d be wise not to pursue it.

Think about things that throw us off balance:

Traffic, running late, putting out fires at work, the kids acting up, the spouse acting up, illness interrupts life, the car breaks down, the bills are piling up, and things just are not going as planned.

We get off balance when things move out of our control.  I have learned that there are some things I can control, and it is my responsibility to do so.  But there are other things, many other things, that are beyond my control.  Why wear myself out over something I can’t control?  Those things simply need to be turned over to God.  I can’t do anything about it anyway.

Maybe getting caught in traffic made you take time to breathe and talk to God?  He could be slowing you down to prevent you from a tragedy.  Have you ever made it through traffic to find that there was a horrific accident?  (God protects us every day from dangers seen and unseen.)  Maybe that issue with the kids or the spouse is your wake-up call that there are a few things that need to be addressed in your home.  Your home life should take priority in your life.  Children shouldn’t have to compete with the church for their parents’ attention. Maybe the craziness at work is stretching you to grow, preparing you for your next job.  Are you allowing your light to shine in the midst of the chaos?   

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God Cares

The Manna Chef

Sisters, I want you to know that God really does care about you.  Wherever you are in your walk with God, He sees you and cares so deeply about you.  Sometimes the enemy wreaks havoc in our minds, berating us about wrong decisions we’ve made and the circumstances in our lives that seem dire.  He wants us to focus on everything that seems wrong in our lives instead of focusing on all of those things that are right and blessed.  He doesn’t want us to think on any good thing, but God actually instructs us to focus on what is good.  Don’t believe me?  Check out Philippians 4:8 (NKJV):

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

It’s important for us to focus on what is good because if we’re not careful, we may lend an ear to the enemy and begin to believe what he’s saying when he whispers that God doesn’t really care; if He did, He wouldn’t allow things to happen to us that cause us great pain.   Has the enemy ever whispered that to you?  Just remember:  the enemy is the father of all lies.  Don’t believe him for even a second.  He wants your mind distracted from what God is doing in your life so that you won’t recognize how God really is moving in your life.

I need you to hear me today:  Sisters, God loves you!  He has left nothing to chance concerning you.  Yes, sometimes tests and trials are waiting at your doorstep.  And yes, there will be days when your heart is full of tears.  But God is actually counting and collecting your tears.  Psalm 56:8 (NLT) says, “You keep track of all my sorrows.  You have collected all my tears in your bottle.  You have recorded each one in your book.”  He sees you at this very moment and knows everything that is going on in your life right now.  He hasn’t forgotten you, and He really does have everything, and I do mean everything, under control. 

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A Moment to Be Still

The Manna Chef

He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. (Psalm 23:2 NKJV)

I don’t know about you, but I value those moments when I can “lie down in green pastures” and actually rest.  We live in a world of constant motion.  It seems as if we are multitasking so much, and it comes so naturally, that we don’t even realize it most of the time. 

I recently made a conscious effort to slow down—to slow everything down.  First of all, let me just admit that it wasn’t easy.  I’d gotten used to the hectic pace that my life sometimes seems to dictate.  But I was determined.  I cut out a constant travel schedule for a two-month period.  I removed some extra activities from my schedule, even some that I enjoyed doing—all in an effort to simply be still.  It seemed odd initially, and I felt very restless.  I mean, do you know how many things I could have gotten done during that time?  I wrestled with those thoughts, too, for a little while.  And then I decided to simply surrender to God’s instruction to rest. 

Sisters, don’t miss the significance of taking time to rest.  If God rested, how can you possibly think that you can go on and on without any rest?  So, I shut it all down, and I’d like to share a few things that I experienced.

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