Idleness is Not Resting

"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time." -- Sir John Lubbock

God’s Word does not warn us against resting…but it does warn us against being idle. There is an important difference between the two and I believe that our refusal to differentiate between the two has been a hinderance to many people receiving the rest they need and deserve.

IDLENESS: Not working or active; unemployed; doing nothing: not spent or filled with activity; not in use or operation, not kept busy; habitually doing nothing or avoiding work, lazy; of no real worth or importance or significance; having no basis or reason; baseless; groundless; frivolous, vain; meaningless, senseless; futile; unavailing.

REST: The refreshing quiet or repose of sleep; refreshing ease or inactivity after exertion or labor; relief or freedom especially from anything that wearies, troubles, or disturbs; a period or interval of inactivity, repose, solitude, or tranquility; mental or spiritual calm; tranquility.


As you can plainly see from the definitions there is a huge difference between idleness and rest. There are two common problems that prevent people from receiving the rest they need.
· They confuse rest with being idle and therefore feel guilty when they rest so they don’t do it. When you rest you are purposely setting aside time to refresh and gain the refreshing you need. You purposely don’t answer your phone or check your emails and you don’t spend time thinking about your responsibilities or challenges that you are currently facing. You set time aside to rest and to be refreshed. Everybody needs this and if you don’t purpose to do it you will eventually face burnout.
· The other common problem people face with the differentiation of rest and idleness is they think they are resting but they are actually just being idle. This is a very frequent occurrence. They really aren’t doing anything so they think they are resting but yet they are checking emails, they are watching to see who calls, they listen to their voicemails and while they are doing nothing they are pondering the issues that they will face come Monday morning. While they have been idle they certainly have not rested and they are anything but refreshed.

People talk a lot about the quality of multi-tasking. And multi-tasking can be good at the right time and in the right moment, but I believe many people live their life in multi-task mode. They are continually and constantly doing one thing while thinking about something and that has crept into our time of rest and refreshing. This is how we have turned times that used to be productive rest times into moments of idleness. It is the enemies attempt to turn something that is great into something that is detrimental.

Whatever you do…if it is worth doing…do it with purpose and with passion. There will be brief moments when multi-tasking may be necessary…but if this is how you are living your life you need to take an inventory and see what good thing has crept in and is keeping you from the greatness that God has for you.

2 Thessalonians 3:6-7 – “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you,”

Have a blessed day,

RodZ

© 2008 – Rodney Zimmerman – All rights reserved