Rest Time is not Waste Time

Most people do not realize the cost of communicating the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For the preacher and teacher that ministers every week, the constant burden of having the next “Thus saith the Lord” word takes its toll. If a good sermon or lesson was like a good song then we could “sing” it over and over and people would celebrate the fact. However, we do not have that luxury – providing a “fresh bread” every week is our mandate. Thus the preacher and teacher always has in the background of their mind a little countdown clock ticking away the time left before the next message or lesson must be created, crafted and communicated. This is not a bad thing: it’s just a fact of our calling.

However, there are dangers involved. Preaching and teaching week after week (sometimes two, three or more times) takes its toll. Your personal walk with God can be reduced to “studying for the next sermon”. You can miss the still small voice of God because you’re always listening for the next good sermon idea or lesson illustration.

Bottom line, it is possible to be successful as a preacher and teacher (at least for a season) and a failure as a Christian. You can be full of knowledge but empty of God. You can have some wonderful stories and illustrations from other people’s lives but have no new experiences of God’s goodness occurring in your life.

Because Sonja and I are enjoying a few days vacation, I am more conscious of this than usual. Today is the second Saturday in a row that I have not had the heavy burden of a message weighing on me for the following day. Through it feels odd, it is necessary.

These few days have been a reminder of a very important principle in the life of someone charged with preaching and teaching the Word of God: They must be very intentional about making time for seasons of refreshing and refilling.

Jesus did this, the apostles did this and great spiritual leaders down through the ages have followed suit.

Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is slip away from your pulpit or podium and get away from the crowd and get alone with God. You are not an inexhaustible resource – you must recharge, you must recalibrate and you must refocus. If you will intentionally take these short Sabbath seasons you will discover that the benefits to you and your people will far outweigh any grief that your people may have felt while you were away.

“Rest time is not waste time.”
_Elizabeth Ruth Skoglund, Bright Days…Dark Nights