Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

A couple of weeks back, in preparation for men’s breakfast, I read the first chapter of Kevin DeYoung’s book Crazy Busy. In the first chapter, the author confessed that he struggles with busyness. I wasn’t too surprised by that, nor was I surprised by the list of things that made him busy. I’m looking forward to the book and the discussion with the men of the congregation, as I think that it will be good for us. I should say at this point that all members of the congregation are welcome to pick up a copy of Crazy Busy at the Book Nook in the narthex/vestibule/church entrance. I trust that it will not only be helpful to the men of the congregation, but for the women too, as many if not all of them are just as busy and sometimes more!

In addition to the opening chapter of Crazy Busy, I also read a complementary article by my seminary president and professor, Dr. Scott Redd, entitled “The Right Balance.” He too addresses the balance of work and rest. I would encourage you to read the whole article here, but I was struck by the following observations:

• “One of the first things we learn about work is that we are to regularly stop doing it (Gen. 2:1-3). The creation account of Genesis 1 culminates in the Lord’s setting aside His creative labors in order to rest. That divine rest becomes a model for those made in the image of this working-and-resting God, which means that all humanity is likewise called to regularly rest from daily labor (Ex. 20:8-11; Deut. 5:12-15).”
• “God calls humans to work and rest not merely because these are helpful suggestions for a good life but because they mark what it means to be human, because they emanate together out of the divine character in whose image we have been made.”
• “The creation account asks us, ‘What makes you think you are above rest when even the creator Lord makes time for it?’ If an infinite, eternal, and unchangeable God is pleased to rest from His cosmic labors, it is an absurd presumption to think that we can ignore such rest in our own lives. Everyone has experienced seasons of life when rest is earnestly needed but not found, but such seasons should be just that—temporary seasons of extended labor. They should not be the norm. As a matter of fact, if such seasons have become the norm for you, perhaps you ought to reconsider the values that inform your decisions in life. The life that is marked by extended restlessness does not merely indicate a lack of wisdom; it indicates rebellion.”
• “We resist rest to our own detriment because it is through rest that we find rejuvenation and renewal for the work to come. More primarily, it is through rest that we acknowledge the Lord who calls us to this life of work and rest. Therefore, we ought to work and rest to His glory (1 Cor. 10:31).”
• “The creation week is remarkable in that it does not merely establish the structure of the human workweek; it provides an outline of human history, a season of labor that culminates in eschatological rest. By living out the biblical workweek, we act out world history every seven days. The Christian shift from Sabbath observance to Lord’s Day observance indicates a shift in eschatological orientation. The final rest for believers has begun in Jesus Christ (Matt. 11:28-30), the Lord of the Sabbath who will bring it to fulfillment when He returns (Matt. 12:8).”

May the Lord give each of us, and our congregation as a whole fruitful work, and joyful rest in Jesus Christ in our crazy busy lives.

Warmly in Christ,
Mike