Do You Give Yourself Permission To Rest?

I distinctly remember once being invited to a small house gathering of seasoned ministers to hear from Ed Millar, a missionary in Argentina. He helped prepare the great Tommy Hicks revival of the early 1950’s. He said he prayed between eight and sixteen hours a day. I found that hard to believe, only being a Christian for around six months.

But, I was motivated. I said to myself I’d try three hours, but this was over ambitious. My spiritual stamina lasted around five minutes in prayer. Locked in my study I began praying. After praying for everything I could think of, I thought at least one hour had passed. I looked at my watch. Five minutes. Arrrggghhh. The despair of another two hours and fifty five minutes sunk my soul into the carpet.

A few weeks later I decided to go seek the Lord on a mountain. We lived in New Zealand, in Christchurch, not far from Mt Cook. I hitch-hiked there (wouldn’t recommend this now!) and hired a small cabin on the foothills. 

I was a complete heathen when I came to Christ. I had no idea how you were meant to seek God although I heard it mentioned often in Church. I cried out as loud as I could, “Where are you God?” There was no one around. I could be as loud as I liked. I looked under rocks and behind bushes. “I’m seeking You. Where are You God?” Suddenly He was there. Unmistakably it was Him, standing right next to me. I simply stood there waiting, in fellowship with God. After a little while I broke off from that sense and felt like five minutes had passed. I looked at my watch. One hour. Talk about an ‘Aha’ moment. 

Now I understood. Prayer is about relationship, not about praying. There’s someone at the other end of your prayer. He wants you. He wants you to walk with Him, to want Him more than answers to your prayers.

For a minister waiting is working. It’s a reasonable chunk of our calling.

The disciples waited ten days before the Spirit came. Moses waited 40 days on Mt Sinai before he received Ten Commandments chiseled into stone by the finger of God. 

The church is built on the revelation of the leader. If he has not waited he will not have one. His church doesn’t grow. Insight waits for him on the other side of 2 hours of waiting, or 2 days, or 2 weeks. 

The frustrated minister runs off to another conference to get some new strategy that’s working elsewhere, another man’s revelation. Time would be better spent waiting on the Head of the Church. He will not fail to show you what you must do.

God’s strategy is not what but who. Who we are forms what we do. Our ‘to be’ list is more important than our ‘to do’ list. Our ‘to not do’ list is also more important than our ‘to do’ list. 

The Protestant work ethic guilts a man into working rather than waiting. The time efficiency mind bullies us out of rest into what we think would be a more productive use of time. Distractions divert our attention so we’re at least busy, but busy about nothing. Just as long as we’re busy. 

Sitting, staring into the nothing couldn’t be productive now could it? 

There is a depth of consciousness we cannot plumb apart from being still. Deep thoughts surface slowly, crystallising into conscious thought, like the proverbial light bulb. We see it! We see ourselves. 

Our itchy flesh hates this waiting game. It’s eager to perform, to do stuff, but our spirit is aching to draw near to God. Our spirit thirsts for Him, hungers for His Word, groans for oil. The price?  Wait. 

Give yourself permission to do what you have been uniquely called to do. To wait. To sit, to hear and then to do what you heard. 

Nothing of worth is gained apart from waiting for Him. This waiting is resting. What rests you? For me, staring at water, from the beach, from the deck of a boat, staring into the deep green suspends my itch to do stuff. When I’m feeling a little mesmerised I know I’m there. 

You must stop, take the whole day, or two or more until the Word comes. This is the highest calling any minister has. To enter the pulpit with fresh cooked bread, roasted meat, distilled wine, fresh water and His presence. 

For every hour you preach you need around eight preparing. This is not all study. Maybe half of that time. Pray as you study the Word. Cook it! 

You need another day to rest after you’ve preached. In the quiet you trickle-charge. New thoughts mined only from His presence feed your own soul. 

We imagine that by doing more we will accomplish more. We also imagine that going fast will do the same. This misplaced belief is at the root of thousands of hours of fruitless work. I’ve lived long enough to know that slow is faster and less accomplishes more. Just one obedient action born from hearing Him changes everything. 

We’re looking for better strategies. God is looking for better servants. We’re not made better by working more. We’re better by waiting more.