The Unforced Rhythms of Grace
July 20th, 2008 | by Ed |I love how Matthew 11:28-29 reads in the Message:
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out? Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life…Walk with Me and work with Me–watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.”
Have you ever noticed that Jesus never seemed flustered, flurried, worried or hurried. He always had time for what was important and for who was important. He had margins to His life that allowed Him to handle interruptions graciously. He lived in pace with the “unforced rhythms of grace.”
I have to confess that I all too easily get swept up in the pace of our society where it “takes all the running you can do just to stay in place.” This summer, I’m asking God to help me recapture the “unforced rhythms of grace” for my life.
Summer is a good time to regain control of your life. It’s a good time to prune some of the activity branches from your life, restore margins to your schedule, and take time for personal reflection and renewal.
God is a God of renewal. The Bible tells us that God renews our life, our days, our strength, our youth, our spirit, our mind, and our inner self. Our spirit, mind and heart become depleted of strength and energy if not continually renewed by the life and power of God.
This summer, I plan to spend time in prayer and reflection to renew my spirit. I plan to spend time reading God’s Word (and a few good books) to renew my mind. And I plan to spend time with friends and family to renew my heart. Of course there’s always plenty of ministry challenges to keep me busy (even during the summer), but I’m learning to establish the rhythms of grace in my life.
I hope that your summer is also a time of reflection, renewal and refreshing, as you walk in the rhythms of grace.