August
2012
Mark 6:31 “He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all
by yourselves and rest a while.”
The United States Military does not
retreat; it instead does a strategic withdrawal and re-group. The idea being that you are not leaving the
field of battle, you are preparing for the next engagement.
Jesus knew the importance of
retreat. He constantly was finding a
quiet place to be with his father, a place of strategic withdrawal and
regrouping. He sought a place to focus
on the Father. In this passage, Christ
tries to give the same gift of withdrawal to the disciples.
The reality is this; God knows we cannot
burn with evangelistic fire 24 hours, 7 days a week. Ministry in the church must be done with
healthy, well fed souls, not worn-out, malnourished spirits. How can you help someone have a healthy
relationship with God if you don’t take time to nourish your spirit? A healthy spirit means a healthy relationship
with God.
Ministers are the worst at
self-care. We tend to try to satisfy as
many people as we can, and thus neglect our own spirit. So take it from me, self-care is
important. Christ continually calls us
to a quiet place to re-group and re-focus.
Where is your deserted place, where do
you find quiet and re-focus? Do you have
a quiet place? If not, I encourage you
to get one, go to it daily, make it a part of your spiritual health journey. Find your place where you and God can
converse as parent and child.
Amen
