You know, it's amazing how when we ask Jesus to ," Remove the foreskins of our hearts ( Jeremiah 4:4)," that He really does it, and the word that comes to mind is, disappointment.
Disappointment in myself and how easily distracted I can be from Jesus, and how eager my heart is to settle for a lukewarm faith that is comfortable and easy on my pride. Disappointment for my lack of discipline in spending time with my Savior, knowing that He is the rest that I need to have in order to not grow weary with the day to day grind of life... Disappointment in the kind of friend that I am to people, allowing myself to be complacent, not wanting to cause any sort of discomfort in holding people accountable to what I know to be TRUTH according to God's word, and what kind of friend does that make me? Col. 3: 16 says, " Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God." Knowing that there is a right way to hold people accountable ( " Let your speech be seasoned with grace, as though seasoned with salt. Col. 4:6") and a wrong way, and also that there is a right and a wrong way for me to be living my life ( "Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving. Col. 4:2.") so that when the time comes for me to actually confront someone my heart is in the right place and my heart in tune with the Holy Spirit.
I mentioned that family is the hardest missions field that Jesus could place me on at this point in time....and it is true. No one else knows you like family knows you , and no one else can test you like family can, and no one else can pull on your heart strings like family can.... All of these things make it rather difficult to accomplish the things that I mentioned before, which brings me to my next point.
REST.
" In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there." Mark 1: 35
A lot of people confuse rest with distraction from stress. So, TV, hanging out, sports, drinking, relationships...whatever floats their boat, when in reality rest is not distraction, it's putting your FOCUS on the right thing. JESUS.
" And He said to them, ' Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest awhile.'" Mark 6: 31
"And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying, for all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things, But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you." Luke 12: 30-31
If our focus is resting on the right place then struggles, joys, passions, relationships...life, will come into perspective and we will gain the rest and peace we seek.
