The Matter of Leisure what to avoid! 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 "... by yourselves apart" The other aspect I must note here in this great verse is the phrase "...by yourselves apart". Whereas alone with God is a value we have been seeking to cultivate and develop as a necessary life-discipline for a disciple, it could get to the extreme of aloneness and break of contact with fellow brothers and sisters. Here I see the Lord drawing them to leisure with themselves as a team. First, families must learn to take and enjoy holidays together in the company of one another. Teams of co-labourers must learn to take time away together to relax in the presence and company of one another. It helps to build a needed relationship within a work. It builds bridges between the workers in such a way that the isolation that pressure of work of the ministry is likely to introduce may be tackled in an atmosphere of relaxed fellowship and communion. Fellowship is critical even in our leisure. It is not advisable to embark on a long holiday alone. It can become so boring as to seek company from the TV screens, beach views and other dangerous worldly amusements. If it is not a time to be on the mount with the Lord in concerted personal prayer, it is appropriate and advantageous if there is a manageable company we can go with to rest a while. It will build fellowship and intimacy. The family unit with the children will be the first consideration. But it can be very much rewarding if such time away is planned along with other brethren, who may come along with their own families or spouses. Our leisure will be more rewarding if it refreshes our minds, our bodies, our friendships and our fellowship with the Lord. It will also be worthwhile if it prepares us to face the work with fresh vision and vigour. It will not be useful if we came back from what should have been a rest, tired and exhausted because it became more exacting to the body and the soul. And they departed into a desert place by ship privately. Mark 6:32 This is the point of obedience. To actually pursue this rest, they had to depart into a desert place by ship privately. It must remain private especially for them because of the crowd that would surge after Jesus. They rose and departed. Rise today in obedience, take a break before you break down and possibly break off. The Matter of Leisure
Posted on: Tue, 01 Oct 2013 17:57:07 +0000
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