My last post talked about taking the time to rest but there’s a difference between resting and loitering.

“We can’t afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity, and indulgence,…Get out of bed and get dressed! Don’t loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about.” The Message

We are all working for the kingdom of God.

Romans 14:17, “For the kingdom of God does not mean eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Modern English Version

* * * * * * *

“God’s kingdom isn’t a matter of what you put in your stomach, for goodness’ sake. It’s what God does with your life as he sets it right, puts it together, and completes it with joy. Your task is to single-mindedly serve Christ.” The Message

My life is constantly being set right, put together, and made complete. I don’t have time to judge another’s life.

“So tend to your knitting. You’ve got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God.” The Message

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July 4, 2017, Journal entry: “I took the holiday off. I slept in, didn’t weigh myself or exercise. Unfortunately…I didn’t have my devotions.”

I wake up between 4:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. to have my devotions and write a blog post – seven days a week, since 2009. Yesterday, I slept in until 7:00 a.m. I missed the only “quiet time” in my house. I decided to read both day’s assigned chapters today. The guilt hit when I read this verse.

Romans 10:15, “And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring good news of good things.’ ” Modern English Version

I thought of Victoria S. who is on a missions trip to Haiti. She posted the temperature on Saturday was 100°. She is living out this verse and I took a day off.

Then I read Romans 12 in The Message…

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering….Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame.” 

One way to keep fueled and aflame is to get away from your normal routine and rest. We stayed home yesterday. Our neighbors provided plenty of firecrackers and fireworks. (They were illegal in Iowa before July 1st of this year.)

God calls each of us to a different path. He provides times of rest but leaves it up to us to take advantage of them.

I felt better when I read Victoria’s personal post: “Happy Fourth of July. I spent my day at the beach eating fresh mangoes.”

God supplied a day of rest in the middle of a missions trip! It’s a good thing because her trips are back to back this year.

Whether your path is missions or mundane, place it before God as an offering and take advantage of the times of rest He provides.

“A bad ride is better than a good run. Never run when you can walk…Never walk when you can stand…Never stand when you can sit…Never sit when you can lie down. Any fool can be uncomfortable in the field.” The Infantryman’s Creed

A good soldier rests when he can because he doesn’t know when he will be able to rest again. Always rested, fueled and aflame.

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