LABOR IN REST

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

I had a great time with a new brother in Christ last Friday.  First of all there is nothing better than a good stick to the ribs breakfast complete with hot coffee in a little town diner, but it gets even better when it can be shared with someone as down to earth and tuned in to the Spirit as my friend Bo.

Immediately the passage…

...encourage one another and build each other up…

1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)

…came to mind.

I was so encouraged.

GOD was providing both of us a Word for each other.

One of us would share what GOD was doing and it would inspire the other to share something else.  Two hours went by like two minutes.

Oddly enough my day didn’t stop there I got to then have a much smaller bite with my closest brother in Christ to talk about some amazing opportunities for he and the Champions Network.  

So I was most certainly encouraged thanks to these special brothers.  Energized!

But what I wanted to share with you today and hopefully ENCOURAGE you as you embark on the NEW week is a simple statement that was shared.

“LABOR IN REST”.

This was one of the WORDS from Bo for me.

If you are like me even though you know we shouldn’t get weary when serving (Galatians 6:9), we sometimes do.  We maybe take on too much or what we have been assigned starts to get a little heavy or pressure-filled.

Yet GOD reminds us…

Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:29-30 (MSG)

Nothing ill-fitting GOD promises.

Nothing “too heavy” GOD promises.

I needed that Word Friday.

When faced with just the simple grim statistics of opiate death in Ohio alone, 23 per week, one could make wading into such a challenge become heavy.  But Bo reminded me to ‘lift what I can’ and release the rest to the broad shoulders of sovereignty of the LORD!

That is good counsel for all of us.

Do the best you can with God’s help and for His glory.

Concentrate on being a God-pleaser and staying in His will for the moment.

Then rest leave in the hands of the Lord.

If we do that you and I will both "labor in REST". 

For Christ’s rest is not a rest from work, but IN the work. 

For while there will always be work involved in serving the Lord, the work is HIS, not ours and in it we can most certainly rest.  

He promises.

…anyone who enters God's rest also rests… (Hebrews 4:10 NIV)

Have a BLESSED DAY!

I love you ALL!

FREEDOM CHURCH (CHAMPIONS NETWORK)