Rest

„Lord, don't you care, that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" (Luke 10:40) Martha was so stressed, that she started telling Jesus what to do!

Reading these words: Lord, don't you care? reminded me of myself.. How many times did I ask this? Lord, don't you care about my needs, my feelings, my situation??? We people are quick to interpret things according to our experience.. According to that tiny piece of picture we are able to see in that moment.

,,But that's not fair!", exclaimed one young man as we shared the story in our prayer group. Maybe because I was sitting on the floor, maybe because I was irritated by the question, maybe because I quickly asked the Lord to answer this for me.. And suddenly I felt what Mary might have felt.. Sitting at the feet of Jesus, looking up, seeing His glorious face, hanging on every word He said.. She forgot about everything else, she only saw Him.. There were no people in the room, no food, no kitchen... just Him..

I have seen so many burned-out servants, or those being not far away from it. It is heartbreaking. We forgot to REST IN HIS PRESENCE. Be totally consumed by who He is and what He's like. We even get offended when somebody reminds us. There is so much work to be done! Yes! Definitely! But let us not forget, that the first thing the Lord sees when He looks at us is the heart, not the hands and feet. Not how much we have accomplished, not how far we have run, but how much love we gave along the way. But we cannot give what we don't have. It is absolutely essential to be filled with His Love. Because without Him we can do nothing! And nothing is nothing! Heidi Baker says: ,,All fruits flow from intimacy." So true..

These thoughts lead me to the story of a prodigal son (Luke 15). The reaction of the older brother is shocking! He is so offended that he rejects the invitation to the party. He rejects the invitation to rest and rejoice! Why? Why was his heart so hardened? It obviously didn't happen overnight.. This attitude took years to establish the lie that the work he is doing is DUTY, not a PRIVILAGE. Along the way he lost the perspective, what a privilage it is to be a son of this loving, highly respected and generous man. Secondly what a privilage it is to work with him, not for him, to learn from him, not on his own mistakes. And at last what a privilage to love on this man day by day, to support him, take care of him as he is getting older and more fragile, maybe forgetting few things.. He thought that all this is his duty.

Also your attitude to rest will be completely different, depending if you live in a duty mindset or a privilage mindset. I was raised in a family where personal freedom was highly valued. So when 'strange' people started telling me you have to do this, you must do that, I learned to reply: ,,I must do only one thing: die one day. Everything else is my free decision."

I understood what a privilage it is to have a family like that, to have real friends, to get a free education, good job, nice place to stay.. And the greatest privilage is to be part of God's family and work with my Father who is in Heaven. Nothing compares to that! I know I don't have to do things, I get to do them, I may! And I know I may take a rest when I need it, I can go to Papa and ask Him to kill a goat for me! And He always gives more than we ask!