Senior Living - June 17

How you can achieve true spiritual health

June 17

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. - Genesis 2:2-3

A Greek legend tells of a man in ancient Athens who once saw the great storyteller Aesop playing games with some children. Thinking it was too far below such a prestigious person to do such a thing, the man laughed and jeered at Aesop, asking him why he was wasting his time.

Aesop responded by picking up a bow, loosening its string, and placing it on the ground. He explained, “If you keep a bow always bent, it will break eventually; but if you let it go slack, it will be more fit for use when you want it.”

Loosening the bow… How many of us can learn something from that lesson? In a society that prides itself on busyness and productivity, remembering to relax and take time away from the stresses of life is crucial to maintain physical, emotional, and spiritual health.

There’s a reason God instituted a day of rest when He created the world. And in doing so, He actually engrained rest into the creative order of the world. So don’t neglect rest… because while we may plan to work, equally important is planning not to work. Take time away from the daily grind and you’ll experience a new level of spiritual health!

Prayer Challenge

Pray now and ask God to help you prioritize your time well by planning times of rest in the midst of your weekly schedule.

Questions for Thought

When you find time to rest, your work time will typically be more productive. Why do you think that is?

What can you do to start making a more conscious effort to rest from the busyness of life?

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