December 23

Hebrews 4:11 states something of an oxymoron. It says, “Let us exert ourselves and strive diligently to enter that rest of God that no one may fall or perish in unbelief and disobedience.” Strive to rest. Isn’t that true of physical life as well as of spiritual life!

We look forward to a weekend but must accomplish the tasks before us Monday through Friday before we can enjoy the time off from work. We have food to prepare before we are able to sit down to a relaxing meal. We yearn for peace with God but must strain against our natural proclivity of worldliness to attain it.

Strive to rest. Indeed we will lapse into a continual state of hyper activity if we do not establish boundaries for ourselves that limit the time we spend at grinding, wearing labor. The workaholic has nothing to show for his efforts but fleeting success in the workplace and undermined health and relational stress at home.

The correlation between our physical and emotional well-being and our spiritual rest is indisputable. Statistics evidence the relationship between our ability to cope with the demands of our lives and our willingness to establish time for communion with God. May we not rob ourselves of the refreshing He gives.