Episode #4 - A Need For Rest

After a long, exhausting day taking our son to the hospital, we did the one thing that we needed to do the most: nothing. We took a day as a family to have a quiet & restful time of recovery. Well...rest is a Biblical principle that we must not neglect. It's hard to pour yourself out for others if you're empty & depleted. Even Jesus took the time to rest, and you need to also. 

#SetYourMindAbovePodcast

Transcript

Welcome to the Set Your Mind Above podcast, where everyday, ordinary events teach us extraordinary eternal truths! I am your host BJ Sipe, and I’m so glad you’ve tuned in today! I am excited to share my life & my faith with you, and I sure hope you’ll do the same with me along the way.

For those that tuned in to yesterday’s episode, you know that my son broke his tibia while playing at the park, landing us at the pediatric hospital in Lexington, KY. I’m happy to report that he’s doing so well despite the large cast on his leg, and is still as happy as can be – my son really is a trooper. Well needless to say, the day he broke his leg was a very long day. Because of the extended wait at the hospital and the hour drive there and back, we didn’t even get home until around midnight. Adrenaline had been coursing through our veins all evening, so I probably didn’t even close my eyes until 1 or 1:30 in the morning. I kept watching my son on the monitor, making sure he was sleeping okay and just playing the days events back in my head. The next day all of us were completely exhausted, physically and emotionally, so we did the one thing that we desperately needed the most: we did nothing. Our friends were taking off for the day to go to the Creation Museum, so we had a quiet day at home with Ava & Dane to ourselves just recover. We slept in, took naps, and had lots of cuddles while we watched movies together in the living room. I worked from home on the couch and only got out of the house to record yesterday’s episode and pick up some more infants Motrin for our son. We didn’t even make any meals, we heated up leftovers for lunch and ordered pizza for dinner. The last thing my wife needed to do after the day we had previously was spend the day cooking for everyone. It was exactly what we needed, especially the kids. While we love having company in town, it’s been hard on our daughter to share the attention she normally gets. She’s also a lot like her mama and thrives on having a set schedule, and her behavior improved by leaps and bounds after a day of doing nothing with mommy & daddy. Obviously Dane needed to rest, as he spent the day learning how to crawl around with his heavy cast dragging behind him. Toward the end of the day I looked at my wife and said, “I have absolutely no idea what I’m going to talk about on the podcast tomorrow, we really didn’t do anything today.” As soon as the words came out of my mouth the lightbulb went off – that’s exactly what we should talk about. 

Life moves pretty fast, doesn’t it? Sometimes we feel the need to go, go, go 24/7. We work long hours and schedule more than we probably should each week. You know how it goes - kids have practices for sports or events on different sides of town around multiple times a week, company is coming over for dinner, the house needs cleaned, the dog needs to go to the vet, the car needs picked up from the shop, that deadline for that paper is at midnight, and the presentation for the company you’re already behind on just got pushed up. Even Psalm 127:2 warns, “It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.” We can’t stand still, running just to catch up with ourselves. Before long we can find ourselves weary, frustrated, and completely burnt out because we have overextended ourselves. What we need is a break, a day of rest to recover and recollect ourselves. This is a principle established from the beginning, as God rested from his work of creation on the 7th day – setting the pattern for the Sabbath day of rest for the people of Israel. However, the example I want us to look at today is the example of Jesus as recorded in Matthew 14. Jesus was home in Nazareth trying to teach, but to no avail. Those who heard his words rejected them, for Jesus to them was merely the son of Joseph – not the son of God. As a result, Jesus did not even perform many miracles among his own people, because they refused to believe. What a discouraging moment for Jesus. It was at this moment that disciples of John the Baptist came to find Jesus. A discouraged Jesus was then greeted with even more horrid news – his relative John had been beheaded by Herod the tetrarch. Matthew 14:13 then reads, “Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself.” Though Jesus would soon after be interrupted and need to finish his rest towards the end of this chapter, we see an important lesson here for us to understand. Jesus, the very son of God, with the most important work to do on this earth through his ministry, needed a break. He was discouraged, worn out, and emotionally depleted after the events in Nazareth & the news of John’s death. He needed to get away alone and have that time to commune with his Father and re-center himself. In fact, Luke tells us that Jesus did this regularly. “Yet He often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.” (Luke 5:16) It’s impossible to continue to pour yourself out for others if you yourself are empty & depleted.  Permit me then this principle to share with you today: work hard always, but rest well often. Be dedicated to your work as an employee, spouse, parent, and Christian and be diligent when you’re about it, serving others with all your might and with a genuine heart as to the Lord. But don’t overextend yourself – schedule time to stop, catch your breath, talk to God, and rest. It’s not so much because “you deserve it”, but rather it’s because God designed you to need it. 

Thank you so much for listening to today’s episode. Tune in, Tuesday-Friday’s, as a new podcast episode will be uploaded each day. Also, be sure to follow the Facebook page for the Set Your Mind Above podcast for future announcements and weekly video sessions that are uploaded on Saturdays. As you have the opportunity, share these thoughts with your friends and family, and share with me what important lessons you are learning from everyday, ordinary events. Until next time know that I love you, that God loves you, and may we all each and every day set our minds above.