I’m not so good at this but have asked the Lord to teach me. He wants us in balance and we’re of no use to him if we are burnt out.

The Bible clearly teaches us that we are to cease our own works and do his.  Then we can enter into his rest (see Hebrews 4) and then be led by him to do what he wants.  As we learn to abide (I love that word) our energies and strength can come from God and our lives can make a far greater impact than if we tried to do things ourselves. By including him in everything we do (even finding keys that happened to us this morning!) He gets the credit for our lives and what happens in them.

I’m convinced that God wants us to enjoy life and we can do that as we learn to get the right amount of rest. Then we can laugh, have fun and be released from the intensity of pushing ourselves further than God intends for us.  Striving and stress are not part of his way for us as then we have that tendency of trying to do things in our own strength which is futile.

Psalm 37 (my favourite Psalm) speaks about resting in the Lord and waiting patiently for him. I so easily go ahead of him or lag so far behind that it takes a lot to catch up! As we delight in him, he does give us the desires of our heart that only he knows about.

Our children need the right amount of rest.  As they are still growing and developing, their sleep actually moulds how tall they will be – we actually grow when we sleep as children. How amazing is our God to allow for that growth. What our children experience affects them as they grow up e.g. being subject to too many of the sun’s rays without adequate protection can produce skin cancer in later life.  Not honouring the Lord as children will sometimes produce cynics or rebels or even worse.

God rested on the seventh day after the six days of creation. What a wonderful pattern for us to follow.  Teaching children this basic rest principal of resting from what has been done in the week will set them up for a balanced adulthood. ‘God’s world’ (Book 1 of ‘The Creation Series’) touches on this.

Be blessed by resting in him, the great God of the universe. He’s paved the way for us to rest in that he took all the blame for our sins and died a terrible death. Because of this, we  gain the benefits of a life hidden in him so that we can rest and be ready for his perfect plans and will to enfold in us.