Taking a Day of Rest by Skip Lowe

What’s on my mind?
For many of you who know me, I am an insurance agent and that means you should be careful asking me questions about health insurance, because the answer is never short in my line of work.    So…I will keep this insurance reference real short!   

Minnesota has been in the news a lot, but few people down in our world know that Minnesota has been in the insurance news recently, as they just passed the Paid Medical Leave Act (PFML), which requires all employers to provide paid time off for employees, up to 12-weeks a year.  What does this have to do with Jesus, you ask?  Well, I was having a nice talk with Brother Nate Smith (OxStrong Co-founder and Legendary Pastor), last week and he was telling me he was headed over to Minneapolis with this daughter for volleyball tournament and naturally I got on the topic of what a mess the new paid time off leave is for our company because there has been over 50,000 claims filed in less than a month and we are in a supply-chain meltdown.

Anyway…after I came up for air from complaining, I turned the mic back over to Nate, and he mentioned how busy he and his family are and all the challenges that we all seem to face in our lives, one time or another.  Then suddenly God spoke to me and I told Nate that it is okay to for any man to take a break and restore their energy because Jesus was given a human body by God so that he could feel the love, the pain, and yes the stress like all of us have in our lives.   In fact, Jesus was disciplined in dealing with stress…here are some examples:

• Withdrawing to solitude:  Jesus often went to lonely or deserted places to pray and reconnect with his Father, especially after busy periods of teaching and healing.
• Setting boundaries:   Jesus did not try to meet everyone’s expectations or demands, choosing instead to prioritize his purpose and rest.
• Sleeping:  Jesus was able to sleep through a storm because he was physically exhausted.  
• Inviting others to rest:  Jesus actively invited his followers to join him in resting.
• Deep emotional expression:  In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus experiences extreme stress (“sweat like blood”) and leaned on prayer, and the presence of his friends.

Mark 1: Verse 35--“Very early in the morning while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a place of solitude and prayed”
Mark 6: Verse 31--“Then because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat (Jesus and his Disciples), Jesus said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves, to a quiet place and get some rest.’

Men, these are stunning pillars of how to be successful and to endure in peace in this human world.  Jesus has paid time off for you, men.   Be realistic about your commitments, your goals, rest, be invitational, be obedient,
 
BE OXSTRONG!!