For much of the last few weeks I have taken time away from Skokie.
Technically I was on a sabbatical. No I wasn’t wasting time doing nothing. I’m
way too Type A for that. I was busy reading, writing and thinking, but without
the stress of interruption from calls, emails, texts and unexpected crisis
walking into my office. It was very restful! My mind lately had grown exhausted
from what has been a very exciting and effective time of almost continuous
ministry. Not all burdens will
exhaust the body, but all burdens can exhaust our mind and spirit.
Rest is of course a Scriptural commandment. Yeshua our Messiah himself
spoke this challenge to us in Matthew 11:28, “Come to Me, all who are
weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Yeshua is not speaking here of taking a
break from doing the dishes, instead he is speaking of our laying on him the deep
burdens of our heart and mind.
Laying our burdens at the feet of our
Messiah Yeshua brings rest. For those of us in ministry work, whether
vocational or volunteer, this means rest from assuming responsibility for what
we can’t control; rest from activity that G-d hasn’t actually called us to do;
rest from people who won’t choose to change no matter how much time we might
pour into their lives.
Yeshua calls us to rest in him, in who he is and in
his sovereignty over our lives as Melech Mashiach, King Messiah!
Impacting our world for Messiah demands our willingness to work
hard for him while at the same time resting fully in him. Paradoxical yes, but
isn’t that always G-d’s way? Something to think about!
Forward for Messiah,
Kirk Gliebe
Rabbi & Director
