The Transformative Network | From rest to a renewed mind.
Sometime over the last weekend, something happened that The Lord brought to my memory and I would like to share with you, The Transformative Network tribe. Earlier in the day I had wanted to come away to be with Him and family needs wouldn’t let me and I was getting frustrated. However, He reminded me that He was in it all and was preparing a better period for me to be still and uninterrupted.
You see even in that apparently mundane moment, He needed me to pay attention to service to my husband and children at that very point though I really wanted to come away with him. My children needed me in the way I needed Him. What I am reminded of is that my role as a wife ( a helpmeet) and a mother is a life of service, not just to my family but as part of the purpose for which I am created. It is one of my principal purposes that I must not neglect.
The thing about God is He gives us the grace to be multifaceted and multidimensional. He also gives us assignments and priorities for different seasons and if you are anything like me, more than one assignment at a time. While He gives us the grace and wisdom to be able to handle it all through Him, He gives wisdom to enable us prioritise as needed.
See, God does not expect us to do it all in our might or strength, but by His spirit. What that means is that if we are trying to create structure and balance in our lives such that we can manage family, business, career, learning and development, ministry AND not forsake our time in the secret place, we must ask the Holy Spirit for help and wisdom in juggling all the balls literally.
I’ve come to find that with each of the things I have to do, there’s an element of service and worship to God in the sense that it is in one way or the other aligned to God’s purpose and will for me. What this means is that if it doesn’t all get done today, I’m very content in what I was able to do today in alignment to my purpose and guess what, sometimes that includes rest. Yes, rest! Let’s normalise that please.
What it also means for me is going back to the well to draw from Jesus when we’ve poured ourselves out in service to others and feeding their souls. This is one of the reasons for the sabbath which our flesh is so quick to ignore because it’s one of the commandments that is not a “ Do not” rather it's an instruction to "Do" . In retrospect, the day before I was feeling frustrated was a sabbath and I hadn’t stop to rest which probably explains my desperate need to be still and alone with Him on that particular day. Here is where I repent.
The word says to come on to Him as we are heavy laden & he would give us rest. The root word of laden is hladan which means to heap on. Another related word is ladle which is to scoop out of. So whether there has been heavy weight heaped on your shoulder or a lot of energy scooped out of you, I would have you know that the Lord wants you to come to Him and He will give you rest.
There’s something about going to the place of rest that communicates not only your obedience but your trust in God that even when you are not in a state of doing but rather being still. He has it all under control. This trust for Him is an act of reverence and worship.
The question that came to my heart was "Bukola Have you considered what it is like to live in a house that is all over the place, tired, redundant, cluttered and unsettled ?" Why then would the Holy Spirit want to dwell in a temple that is in that state? What the body feels like without rest is a mess… cluttered and unkempt.
I feel like my children are at the most conscious restful state when in my arms. They'd probably feel like nothing or no one can harm her when they are in my arms. How much more when we are in the Fathers arms resting and He dwelling in us as His temple, it becomes a knowing and not a feeling.
Now , I say all these to let you know that:
God is in everything, every moment and everyday.
The more we see God in our daily lives, we are able to serve Him in everything.
You can do all things through strength from God.
Wisdom is key to prioritising.
Rest is part of the deal for His spirit to dwell in you & for renewed strength.
In the meantime, here are five things I would like you to practically do:
Think of your week so far and acknowledge where how you have served God in you daily activities
Think of where you may have tried & perhaps struggled to do things in your own strength
Ask the Holy Spirit for Help
Praise - praise Him and maintain a heart of gratitude
As we draw close to the weekend, make a decision to get your much needed rest this sabbath.
SHALOM SHALOM!
