I need a Sabbath rest!

Today is my Sabbath day to enjoy spending time with Jesus. Usually this means praying in silence and solitude for a few hours and then doing some writing or sharing in spiritual conversation with friends. I've been doing this weekly all year and it's been wonderful!

The basis of the Sabbath command (which Jesus himself practiced and he taught others to follow this example) is "do no work" or "don't be productive."

This hits me where it hurts. Have you ever heard of a "workaholic" or an "adrenaline addict"? That's me! Or, it was me some years ago. I'm in recovery and am no longer controlled by ambition and hurry and feelings of inadequacy and inability to set boundaries. But I have to watch myself! Practicing the Sabbath helps me to stay in recovery from my past addiction. It's a way to slow down and look up.

However, today I couldn't resist finishing some work before starting my Sabbath! (Thank you for reading my confession!)

Keeping a Sabbath is not a legalism about keeping a bunch of rules! It's a blessing! The Sabbath is about resting and rejoicing with God and friends. It's about praying and playing. It's about slowing down and savoring. The New Testament teaches us that a Sabbath could be taken on any day.

Times like now it's too hard for me to enter into Sabbath with my computer close by! So I'm off to go hiking with Jesus. Just the two of us in the beauty of nature!

Is your Soul Replenished?

Yesterday I listed to a talk that Bill Hybels gave to a group of pastors and leaders. Bill is one of the most respected pastors in the world - and rightly so. As a teenager growing up in the Chicago area I went to his church in its early years. Bill was sharing about the need for spiritual renewal in these economically stressful times.

Courageously, he confessed to being like a "Leadership-aholic." For decades as a minister he has given his all to leading others to follow Christ. And sometimes he's given too much of himself, worked too long and moved too fast, perhaps relying on adrenaline (which can be addicting) until he found himself exhausted. 20 years ago he said he wrote in his journal:

"The pace at which I'm doing the work of God is destroying the work of God in me."

Recently, he caught himself overdoing again and has been drawn by the Holy Spirit to spend more time in "slow prayer and meditation" and surrendering himself more fully to Christ. He's beginning each morning with some spacious time to connect deeply with Christ and listen to him.

He said that the best thing a leader brings is a soul replenished by God so he or she can lead others out of confidence in Christ. This means being submitted to Christ each day.

I relate to Bill's story of overworking in ministry. I find that as I pursue intimacy with Christ I am able to minister out of the overflow of Christ's ministry to me.

How about you?