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How Do We Rest – Creating Space
How Do We Rest (Creating Space)? (2 Corinthians 12: 1-10)
Pastor josh VanLeeuwen 10-2-16
We human beings like to believe weâre strong, but actually weâre not. Even the beefiest bodybuilder can be felled by a microscopic virus. We have to eat and drink and sleep to survive. We get sick. We get old. We die. Unless weâre confronted by our mortality, though, we tend to move through our days believing we can power through whatever life throws at us. Saul the Pharisee probably felt that way, too.
Most of us will never have to experience the things Paul endured: being shipwrecked (three times!); beaten, flogged, and lashed; imprisoned; stoned; in fear for his life numerous times; hungry, thirsty, cold, exhausted. Well, maybe weâve been some of those last ones. But Paul, who as Saul the Pharisee lived comfortably, persecuting Christians on behalf of the religious elite, traded his life of ease for one of hard work and suffering. Yet he persevered, even finding joy in the suffering.
In this passage of scripture, Paul says he will not boast about his visions and revelations from the Lord, but he will boast about his weaknesses because in his weakness, Christâs power rested on him. In his fragile human state he was incapable of traveling to various churches, working hard, and spreading the gospel message, but the power of Jesus shone through him. Anyone who looked at him had to know that it was not by his own strength but by the strength of Jesus Christ that he was able to persevere.
We know a little something about boasting. We boast about our favorite sports team, or about our childrenâs achievements, or about our own accomplishments. Everyoneâs familiar with the humblebrag. But we can drop the bragging and embrace the humility. There are things we arenât so good at. Things we might not feel very confident about. Sure, sometimes God calls us to work in areas outside our gifts so that he can show us and others what he can do despite our shortcomings, but unless we sense that tug from God, we should realize that we are gifted in specific ways for Godâs purposes, and we can feel free to say no to those tasks that others are better suited for. We can let go of the guilt we might feel at turning down an opportunity and trust that God will call the right person for that task, and we donât have to try to do everything ourselves. When we work in our areas of giftedness, we can serve joyfully and effectively, bringing glory to God.
Earlier in Corinthians Paul wrote, âFor God . . . has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to usâ (2 Cor. 4: 6-7). The spirit of God dwells in our frail human flesh, so that his power and strength can accomplish his work, and everyone who sees what we do knows we arenât acting on our own but that God is acting through us. And the glory is all his.
What does all this have to do with creating space for rest? By acknowledging that we cannot do everything on our own and by giving up those things we are not called to do, we can set down our burden of busyness and find rest. We can make the right choices about how to spend our time and where to serve. We can let go and relax, confident that while we seem idle, God is renewing and restoring us, if only we stop and make space for him to work in us. In our weakness, he is strong.
Click here to Listen
http://www.westview.org/wp-content/uploads/PODCAST2016/FindRest/10-2-16podcast.mp3 | Open Player in New Window
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By Westview Church Waukee Iowa RCAHow Do We Rest (Creating Space)? (2 Corinthians 12: 1-10)
Pastor josh VanLeeuwen 10-2-16
We human beings like to believe weâre strong, but actually weâre not. Even the beefiest bodybuilder can be felled by a microscopic virus. We have to eat and drink and sleep to survive. We get sick. We get old. We die. Unless weâre confronted by our mortality, though, we tend to move through our days believing we can power through whatever life throws at us. Saul the Pharisee probably felt that way, too.
Most of us will never have to experience the things Paul endured: being shipwrecked (three times!); beaten, flogged, and lashed; imprisoned; stoned; in fear for his life numerous times; hungry, thirsty, cold, exhausted. Well, maybe weâve been some of those last ones. But Paul, who as Saul the Pharisee lived comfortably, persecuting Christians on behalf of the religious elite, traded his life of ease for one of hard work and suffering. Yet he persevered, even finding joy in the suffering.
In this passage of scripture, Paul says he will not boast about his visions and revelations from the Lord, but he will boast about his weaknesses because in his weakness, Christâs power rested on him. In his fragile human state he was incapable of traveling to various churches, working hard, and spreading the gospel message, but the power of Jesus shone through him. Anyone who looked at him had to know that it was not by his own strength but by the strength of Jesus Christ that he was able to persevere.
We know a little something about boasting. We boast about our favorite sports team, or about our childrenâs achievements, or about our own accomplishments. Everyoneâs familiar with the humblebrag. But we can drop the bragging and embrace the humility. There are things we arenât so good at. Things we might not feel very confident about. Sure, sometimes God calls us to work in areas outside our gifts so that he can show us and others what he can do despite our shortcomings, but unless we sense that tug from God, we should realize that we are gifted in specific ways for Godâs purposes, and we can feel free to say no to those tasks that others are better suited for. We can let go of the guilt we might feel at turning down an opportunity and trust that God will call the right person for that task, and we donât have to try to do everything ourselves. When we work in our areas of giftedness, we can serve joyfully and effectively, bringing glory to God.
Earlier in Corinthians Paul wrote, âFor God . . . has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to usâ (2 Cor. 4: 6-7). The spirit of God dwells in our frail human flesh, so that his power and strength can accomplish his work, and everyone who sees what we do knows we arenât acting on our own but that God is acting through us. And the glory is all his.
What does all this have to do with creating space for rest? By acknowledging that we cannot do everything on our own and by giving up those things we are not called to do, we can set down our burden of busyness and find rest. We can make the right choices about how to spend our time and where to serve. We can let go and relax, confident that while we seem idle, God is renewing and restoring us, if only we stop and make space for him to work in us. In our weakness, he is strong.
Click here to Listen
http://www.westview.org/wp-content/uploads/PODCAST2016/FindRest/10-2-16podcast.mp3 | Open Player in New Window