NACR Daily Meditation for Thursday, Jul 31, 2003

31 Jul 2003 07:00:46 -0000

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NACR Daily Meditation for Thursday, Jul 31, 2003

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There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone
who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from
his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest . . .let us
then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive
mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Hebrews 4:9-11,16

God rested from his work.

And God invites us to rest from ours. In our time of need God invites
us to experience the rest-full-ness that comes from receiving mercy and
grace.

But we resist. Rest is such a reversal of our expectations. We don't
expect mercy and grace. We expect criticism. We don't expect to be invited
to approach with confidence; we expect rejection. We don't expect rest,
we expect to receive a list of demanding tasks to perform. Becoming the
kind of people who are capable of rest will require us to change. It will
require effort on our part.

First, we will need to change the way we see ourselves. We are attached
to the illusion that we have no limits. We may not claim to be immortal,
but if you examine our behavior, we act as if we need less rest than God.
God rested. We don't. Clearly something is wrong. If we are to become the
kind of people who are capable of rest, it will take some effort to change
the way we see ourselves.

Second, to increase our capacity for rest, we will need to change our
behavior. Rest is not an idea. It is a behavior. It will take some effort
to change the way we live. We will need to learn the skills that make it
possible for us to say no to over commitment. We will need to build rest
into the rhythm of our lives.

God rested. We need to do the same.

Help me to acknowledge my need for rest, Lord.
Help me to make quiet spaces in my life
when I cease all my doing
and allow myself to be.
Help me to make the effort to rest today.
Amen.

Copyright 1991 Dale and Juanita Ryan 

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