…he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” (Mark 6:31b)
Rest is not a luxury but a necessity, and it is not a waste of time. On the contrary, insufficient rest leads to fatigue and subpar performance. It lowers immunity, increases anxiety and can easily lead to illness and loss of productivity. We may think we can keep working, but not allowing ourselves time to be recharged and refreshed through rest and recreation means we don’t get to receive and be renewed. Sooner or later, we’ll burn out, even if we are doing “good” things that we enjoy or benefit others.
Jesus, too, was busy doing good things while He was on earth. He had such a packed schedule of ministering to people that sometimes He didn’t even have time to eat! But He understood the need for rest and recreation. In Mark 6:7-12, He sent His Twelve out to preach the gospel, cast out demons and heal the sick. They came back excited and reported to Jesus what they had done. Jesus, recognising their need for rest, told them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6:30-31). They had to intentionally separate themselves from others to rest and be refreshed. Notice too that Jesus invited them to “Come with me”, i.e., to intentionally separate themselves from others to be with Him, to receive from Him and be renewed.
God Himself set an example of rest for us by resting after six days of creation (Genesis 2:2-3). He instituted the Sabbath so we would build a rhythm of rest into our lives (Exodus 20:8-11). He wants us to intentionally set aside time each week to honour Him by resting from our work and seeking to be refreshed and renewed physically and spiritually. He also instituted festivals and sacred assemblies throughout the year when His people were expected to rest from work (Leviticus 23). These festivals held religious significance—they reminded them of their covenant relationship with Him, of the call to worship, thanksgiving, and holy living, and of what He had done for them and how He had faithfully provided for them. In addition, the command to “do no regular work” during these festivals injected an annual pattern of rest into their lives. In this way, these festivals brought them both physical rest and spiritual renewal.
Life is demanding, and work is also demanding. We’ll always have projects to do and problems to solve in life and at work. Rest and renewal require our attention. If we don’t intentionally set aside time for rest and renewal, we will not be as effective, find as much joy, or last as long at work and in life.
Reflection and Application
Are you so caught up with the demands of work, success, family, and ministry that you have no time to rest, receive, and be renewed by the Lord?
Do you give yourself enough time to sleep every night, and do you have a “Quiet Time” with the Lord every day?
Do you have a day of rest each week, and if you do, do you set aside time to honour God and connect with Him on your rest day?
Do you occasionally “go away with the Lord by yourself” for rest and renewal?
What are you doing regularly to recharge and renew yourself physically and spiritually?
DAILY MEDITATIONS:
Monday: Psalm 127:2 (ESV)
It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.
Tuesday: Exodus 23:12
“Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and so that the slave born in your household and the foreigner living among you may be refreshed.
Wednesday: Leviticus 23:5-7
The LORD’s Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. On the fifteenth day of that month the LORD’s Festival of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast. On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.
Thursday: Hebrews 4:11
Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.
Friday: Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Saturday: Mark 1:35
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
Sunday: Exodus 33:14
The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Unless otherwise stated, all scriptures are quoted from the New International Version
By Pastor Yong Tai Tong
