Time To Chill and Be Still

Tonight I went to check out a Christian club called Intervarsity.

When I walked in, there were about 40 people, seated comfortably, listening to a young man sharing about the goodness of God. Shortly after we started to worship; we sang "God of Light", "How Great is Our God", etc. It was awesome, God's glorious presence was so gentle and moving in that little room.

Then a beautiful lady named Megan started to share about the importance of resting in God.

In today's fast paced society, people often work themselves to death from dawn to dusk, and even late at night they refused to sleep and buried themselves in technology.

Many Christians are like that too, so why do we refuse to rest from working and simply quiet down before the Lord? Well...

1. We find our identity from our accomplishments (eg., I'm a straight A student, a successful missionary, a wealthy businessman, etc.)

2. We value our work more than our health (eg., even with a severe headache and high fever, I still force myself to do that extra credit assignment)

3. We simply don't trust God to provide for us or we are unwilling to give Him the control in our lives

4. We are trying to avoid God for fear of what He'll tell us or reveal to us about ourselves when we listen to Him

We NEED to rest! Even God rested on the seventh day after creation, who are we to say that we don't need rest?

God helped His people to take breaks:

1. In the wilderness, God gave mana (a food from heaven) to the Israelites everyday except the seventh day(cool!). On the sixth day, God would pour down a double amount of mana so His people can rest from collecting the mana on the seventh day(even cooler!).

2. God commanded us to rest on Sundays, and to use that day to simply fellowship with Him.

3. The Israelites would take a whole year off, not doing any farming, any kind of work, every fifty years. It was called the Year of Jubilee. (Hey...I want that!!)

When we rest, stop the things that we're doing, and be still before God, we would realize that we need God, that we are weak, and that would make us humble (good!). We would also realize that God loves us not for the things we do, but for who we are.

When we are before the Lord, all our identities melt away, we are no longer pastor's kids, worship leaders, etc., instead we are simply God's children, His precious beloved ones.

Yes, God called us to serve, to love people, to be productive, but that's not what makes Him love us.

When Jesus got baptized, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him and Father God said, "This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased." God told Jesus that He loved Him and is pleased with Him even before Jesus really did anything yet!

We need to trust in God and rest in Him, He is not a God who tells us "toughen up, will you?!" when we are exhausted; no, He is a God who tells us "Let all who are tired and weary come to me, and they will find rest in me."

AMEN!!!

It was a really great first meeting, I look forward to the small group gatherings!

God is SO Good!!!