“And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.” (Mark 6:31)
I have heard preachers who bragged about the fact that they never took a vacation, as if it was a sin for them to take some time apart from the ministry to rest. Compound that with the 24/7, fast-past world we live in where if you do rest, you feel as if the world passes you by.
True rest has become a lost art in our culture. If anyone knew what it was like to be busy, it was Jesus. But it was also Jesus who said to His disciples, “Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while…”
FIRST—Some REST When They Should Be WORKING.
We see it in every church. 80% of the work is done by only 20% of the members. You visit the average church and you will find that the majority of work is done by the same, dedicated, faithful few. 20% of the people are working while the other 80% are watching.
SECOND—Some WORK When They Should Be RESTING.
There is nothing spiritual about never taking a rest. In fact, I believe the opposite is true. The longer you work without a physical and spiritual rest, the more you open yourself up to temptation by Satan. Remember, it was after Jesus had fasted 40 days, and was weak physically, that Satan came to tempt Him.
Don’t rest when you should be working, but also learn that there needs to be times of rest. You must learn to rest so that you will be more effective for Christ when you ARE working. So, take some time to come apart before you come apart!