A Good Word - Rest
by Gary Johnson
In my younger years, I remember hearing the initials RSVP and later came to understand that they were an important part of an invitation. For example, a wedding invitation would be sent and with it would be a postage-paid, preaddressed RSVP card. The bride’s parents expected those who were invited to their daughter’s wedding to respond to their invitation, indicating if they would be attending or not.
It may seem as if etiquette is a fast-fading part of our culture. Few people respond with an RSVP when invited to a significant event. For whatever reason, little thought is given to formally respond with a ‘yes’ or a ‘thank you, but no’ to an invitation. Our schedules are full, and our interests are many, so much so that we do not attend the event to which we are invited.
Long ago, Jesus sent out an invitation – and it was for a particular purpose. Looking at His disciples and seeing the frenetic pace at which they were living, He said, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6:31). Similarly, Jesus invited a host of others to do the same, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). I wonder how the invitees responded to the invitation.
And how about you and I? Jesus, who is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8), invites us to rest with and in Him. How have we responded? Do we find ourselves ignoring His invitation in favor of places to go, people to see and things to do? Are we living at such a break-neck speed that we do not know how to slow down, let alone to stop – and rest?
Speaking candidly, I must admit that I have struggled at sending Jesus an RSVP, accepting His invitation to rest in Him. I learned this the hard way just this last fall. I was preparing a report for our fall Board of Directors’ meeting of e2, and in it, I compiled some statistics of the number of miles I had driven, flights I had flown, site visits I had made, Zoom meetings I held, and more. I then factored into it the number of weekends I was away from home to speak in partner churches and noted that I had not taken any vacation earlier in 2021. I told the Board that I was working at an unsustainable pace, and I needed to both repent and rest.
Yes, repent is a right word. Observing the Sabbath is the single longest commandment of the “Top Ten” given by God to His people (Exodus 20:8-11). God had more to say about resting one day a week than He did about murder, adultery and lying! Why is it that I take so seriously the other commandments and give so little thought to this command of God?
Repent is a compound word in Greek, metanoia, comprised of the words meta meaning to change (i.e., metamorphosis) and noia meaning mind. To repent of wrong actions begins with changing the way one thinks. In my case, I needed to change my thinking about this command of God. I sin when I do not practice a Sabbath day, and the word Sabbath means to “stop, to cease.” One day a week, I must stop working and rest. I will never do that until I change the way I think about this very issue. Does ministry “success” depend on my striving, or on does it depend on God’s Spirit working around, in, through, even in spite of me?
The Word commands me, “Do not conformed any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2). The culture we live in is consumed with going, with getting, with doing, and more. Even ministry endeavors are characterized by such a frantic pace that we find ourselves exhausted and spent. Record numbers of people serving in ministry leadership roles are throwing in the proverbial towel for less demanding responsibilities.
How then, have I repented of this sin? Once I changed my thinking, I changed my actions. I immediately took a long period of rest, more commonly called vacation! I finished the end of 2021 using four weeks of vacation and I enjoyed every moment with Leah, my children and grandchildren and circle of friends. Then, as I began 2022, I made a commitment to identify a day of the week that would be my Sabbath and I observe that day of the week being free of work. As well, to further take Jesus up on His invitation to find rest from the hectic pace of ministry, our e2 office team is “shutting down” three weeks in 2022 to draw apart with Jesus to get some rest. Patterned after the OT command to appear before the Lord three times a year (Deut. 16:16), we have picked three weeks throughout the year to retreat from ministry demands and enjoy true rest.
And how about you? Are you tired, weary, heavy-laden with the demands of life? Etiquette is not a thing of the past. Jesus has given to you an invitation. The question is: how will you RSVP?
