Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of
it. Hebrews 4:1 (emphasis mine)
Well what do you know…it’s not all
about me! That’s what the apostle Paul thought. Don’t you hate to be knocked
off of center stage and out of the limelight? “Look Paul, I’ve got my hands
full keeping myself straight. Why am I responsible for others to enter God’s
rest? Gimme a break!”
When I read that verse with a focus
on me, I didn't like it and I missed the
whole point. Jesus is the head of the body (singular) not bodies. We the church,
believers, whatever title you attach to yourself, are not Lone Rangers for
the Lord. We’re meant to work together as a cohesive unit the same way our
physical bodies operate. When I work in my yard my hands don’t go outside and
my feet stay indoors propped up on my footstool relaxed. All of me gets involved
in the project. This also applies when we rest. To be refreshed and renewed every
part needs to participate and take some down time.
Usually my “to do list” outweighs
reality but that doesn’t suppress my attempted pursuit of the absurd. I push
myself to exhaustion and end up too tired to rest. Had I heeded the signals my
body sent I wouldn’t be worn out and depleted. Accomplishments can be addictive
and to chase them sends my life out of balance. In the end I’m too tired to
enjoy the pleasures of life or respond to emergencies or unexpected surprises.
As Christ’s body, we need to watch
out for each other. Great emphasis is placed on spurring each other on to good
works and we should. It’s equally important to encourage and facilitate one
another to be human beings and not
human doings. We need to help other
body parts avoid the performance trap. Let’s remember that to “be still and know that I am God” in
important to maintain health. To make this happen we should lower our
expectations of each other and shoulder their load so they can rest. The
standard formula that 20% of the people do 80% of the work won’t cut it if we
want to see the kingdom of God
God never intended for a few to do all
the work anymore than He designed our hands to do everything while the rest of
us chill out. In his book, Thinking Fast
and Slow, author Daniel Kahnemen offers this thought. “Indeed there is evidence that people are more likely to be influenced
by empty persuasive messages, such as commercials, when they are tired and
depleted.” Could fatigue cause us to miss God’s truth? It’s in times of
stillness, when we're quiet, that we hear His voice clearly. We need
His directions and instructions to find the best path from A to B. Notice I
didn’t say the shortest. When we work as a unit. the Body will be strong and
healthy because it receives the rest it needs to recharge. If you’re presently
disengaged, get back in the flow so that those carrying the load can finally
take a break.
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