Held Hostage By Life

As we just celebrated Easter, we are reminded of what Christ has done to give us freedom and life!

Yet, so many of us experience the opposite. We are bound and consumed with activities, never-ending work, and just plain old "too much to do". Held hostage by the same thing the God intended for freedom.

I recently heard a quote in our Beth Moore Bible Study that sums it up perfectly: "activity captivity".

LIFE....how exactly does life get so busy?
What exactly is the purpose of all of our activities?
Why do we do so much?
Why don't we take care of ourselves?

Now, don't get me wrong...I LOVE activities and I hate to turn one down. I don't want to miss out on any of the fun! I am notorious for over booking myself and running on E...which is why I think God keeps bringing these messages and passages up in front of my face. He is waving a big red flag saying....yoo-hoo, are you listening! :)

So, back to my question. Why do we do so much and for what?

To socialize, to have fun, because we have to bring in an income, because we don't want to miss out...for those with children is it to give them the best life possible, to involve them in things that will make them "well rounded"....

All of these reasons are valid and there is nothing really wrong with any of them, but are these things truly the source of our busyness? Maybe.

Maybe you just like to "do"!

Or, maybe you are in the process of learning that "NO" is a complete sentence. Trust me, we all have to learn this (and some have learned it all to well, if you know what I mean!).

Maybe you are in such a good place that you just want to share what God is doing in your life with everyone and you want to enjoy all that he has provided to the fullest.

...or is it something deeper? Do our activities just scratch the surface of why we are really so busy?

Why do we avoid being still?

Psalm 127:1-2 has a beautiful message for us: (from www.biblegateway.com)

Unless the Lord builds a house,
the work of the builders is wasted.
Unless the Lord protects a city,
guarding it with sentries will do no good.
² It is useless for you to work so hard
from early morning until late at night,
anxiously working for food to eat;
for God gives rest to his loved ones.

This passage is not telling us to not work, or to become lazy.

Rather, I do believe that it tells us if He is not in what we are doing, then it is pointless. He is our purpose, He gives purpose to everything we do, He has a specific purpose for you.

In the midst of a culture that basis their identity so much on what we "do" and make an Olympic sport out of how much we had to do this week, I also believe that there is a treasure for us in this passage

I love the way the Message paraphrases part of verse 2 that says:
Don't you know he enjoys
giving rest to those he loves?

Treasured one, He loves to give you rest, just because He loves you. It's a gift and the question is, are you going to accept it?

So, let Him love on you tonight and let Him give you rest, whether it be physical, spiritual, mental, or all three...just rest.

Song for the Soul: By Your Side - Tenth Avenue North (click to hear)

Prayer:
God, you have said that you love to give rest to those whom you love, please help me find rest and purpose through you. Amen