Christian spiritual discipline comes with challenges. In the practice of these disciplines, we encounter the truest parts of ourselves, however beautiful or ugly they may be, and do it all in the living and loving presence of God.
Disciplines are a means of living a Jesus-like life.
In my life, and likely in yours, we are not always aware of the burdens upon us. But we are aware that we want to escape them. What I wonder is whether this is us exhibiting a longing for Sabbath.
Is it built into our God-imaging nature, Christian or not? Even if we aren’t observing a formal Sabbath, is our need for it still evident when we are looking for a way to get away from our burdens?
I think it is.
When we begin with curiosity, an infinite world of discovery and exploration becomes available to us. But if we don’t have a strong desire to know or learn something, we could spend all the time in the world reading about it, being taught about it, experiencing it, yet never understand it. It would never reach us in our interior worlds and never be the catalyst for the growth and transformation we’re hoping for.
Even before we are at the limits of our strength, our charge is not to let go of him.
A weary mind is a mind that raises itself as the authority. The ultimate decider of good and right, should and shouldn’t. Some minds may be able to bear up under that burden longer, or subscribe to the idea of the hive mind to reach balanced conclusions, but all will fall eventually. The burden of trying is too much. Because our minds were never made to be God’s mind. The mind of Christ (which is God’s mind) is the one that can bear all information across all time and beyond and come to the right conclusions without faltering or breaking. His mind is never weary and always able and always good.
The work of spiritual investment is taking what is not right to the one who can make it right. It’s not about bringing guilt and shame, but about being exposed before him, finding that place perfectly safe and perfectly good. And the comfort of knowing that he will not just smooth our egos or tell us it’s fine when it’s not fine. He sits with our soul and he guides, and he has hard conversations with us, and gives us his power to be healed.
So how do we do this? How do we move forward and re-engage after a time of such introspection? After a time of such heated conflict? When elements of that conflict still exist and will continue to exist for some time? When relationships seem so much more fragile now than they used to be. When depth of relationship feels impossible?
What’s been shaken up in your life? What has you off balance? To what degree? Are you still walking straight? Little wobbly? Clinging to the side rails? Hanging on for dear life? Completely disoriented without knowing which way is up?
Restore our fortunes, Lord , like watercourses in the Negev. Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy. Though one goes along…
In layman’s terms, I think God is telling us here to enjoy our lives, pursuing that which satisfies rather than worrying about or striving for those things which He is already taking care of for us. God desires to give good things to His people, and that includes an abundant, full and satisfying life.
