The other day, one of my dear friends asked me a rather unusual but important question; “Pastor, how do you rest? How do you spend your days off from the church office?” I paused a bit to respond appropriately. I knew he wanted us to learn together. That conversation around rest was truly enlightening.
Friend, you need to understand the kingdom way to rest if you would last long and fulfil destiny (Matthew 11:28-30). One of the questions in the heart of firebrand and purpose-conscious Christians is how to balance spiritual fervency with needed rest. By rest, I don’t just mean sleep. I mean taking time to refresh and refill (Mark 6:31).
While rest is important, the wrong rest would do more harm than good (Micah 2:10). In the kingdom, we don’t rest from God. We rest in God. We don’t rest by indulging the flesh. We rest by engaging our spirit (Hebrews 4:4). Sometimes, in a bit to unwind, some Christians end up toiling with sin. They end up engaging in activities that reduce them spiritually.
Let God choose your rest for you (Isaiah 28:12). Don’t join others in activities that your spirit man is not comfortable with. Don’t feed your eyes and ears with contents that affect you spiritually (Proverbs 4:23). Most times, the grounds that people gain in days of fasting and prayers are easily lost to carnal engagements.
The dangers of the wrong rest are scattered all over the Bible. Adam and Eve hung out with the serpent (Genesis 3:1). Samson slept on the laps of Delilah. Elijah slept under a juniper tree. David fed his eyes with Bathsheba, who was having her bathe (2 Samuel 11:1-4). Peter warmed himself with the enemies of the Lord. The list is endless.
Spirituality is not an enemy of our social life. But we must not allow our social life to corrupt our spiritual life (1 Corinthians 15:33). Our spiritual life should reflect in all we do. Jesus attended a wedding ceremony. He visited homes and families. He hung out with people, including sinners. But in all, he maintained His intimacy with God and His life of integrity (John 14:30).
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria