Emily Mishal: Busy? Find Rest | 25:01:26

Well, it is lovely and cool in here.

>> How are we all this morning?

>> Good. It's lovely and cool in here. I

was sitting there with goosebumps, which

is nice cuz I'll step outside and be

like the opposite. But um it is lovely

to see you all um on this Sunday and and

lovely to see so many of Hamish's family

and friends um who I think there are a

lot of people in the ministry so bit of

pressure for me but that's okay.

Um I want to ask you think back to what

you remember as being your best year or

maybe it was a a good time. Maybe it was

when you were young in your 20s or a

teenager. Maybe it was more recent than

that. Think back to that time, that

year, that holiday. What made it good?

What made it great? Even what would you

consider your best year or time or

season? Doing what you love. Can you

think of that and hold that thought?

We just returned from a trip overseas.

It was really needed. We left just days

after the last day of school uh and went

to India. We spent 10 days touring, two

and a half weeks at our house with

family there. We spent Christmas and New

Year and then a few days in Koala Lumpa

on the way home. It was busy but it was

not chaotic. We had time to explore, to

see, to relax in the evenings, to enjoy

meals, to take in the sights, time to

read, time to play cards, watch game,

watch movies, play games. We did a lot.

Um, we did a lot of steps, we did a lot

of stairs.

We ate a lot of Indian food. Uh we drank

a lot of chai. We battled plenty of

crowds. We caught trains, buses,

flights, autos, cycle rick shores, cars,

and the monor rail. So, um Ben mentioned

a couple last week, I think he said, why

don't you do a slideshow? So, I'm just

going to give you a real quick

slideshow. Um so, if we can hit the

light so you can see. Um,

we visited the Golden Temple in Amritza.

It's a seek temple that feeds over a

100,000 meals a day to anyone who needs

one. We witnessed the changing of the

guard ceremony at the IndiaPakistan

border.

We traveled 7,000 ft up on a very windy

road to see a mountain town near the

Himalayas, Missouri, where my

grandmother attended boarding school as

a child in the 30s and 40s. We walked

the steep narrow cobblestone roads of

the area. We viewed in the distance the

snowcapped Himalayas. We saw the Tibetan

Buddhist prayer flags hung high on the

hill. We saw the hustle and the bustle

of Delhi.

The structures that have withtood

hundreds of years in a very populated

and smoggy city. We were aed by the

magnificence of the Taj Mahal and the

precious stone inlays in the symmetrical

building built close to 500 years ago.

We witnessed the fortresses built of red

sandstone which still stand today. We

put our hands onto the handcarved beauty

in the pillars. We saw churches,

mosques, temples, and other religious

sites. We saw the final resting place of

the famous Mother Teresa. As simple as

she lived her life, but as impactful as

she left her legacy. We sat for hours in

trains watching the countryside go by.

We in cues. We sat in parks.

We spent time with family. We played,

you know, more times than we can count.

Snakes and ladders. We milked the cows.

We watched the goats, the sheep, the

chickens, the animals run on the

streets. We drove to far villages. We

ate food on the ground on paper plates

for Christmas Day. We saw the joy in the

faces of our nieces and nephews as they

saw and put their feet in the ocean for

the first time in their lives. and saw

animals in a zoo they could have only

imagined or seen in books.

We saw the twin towers in Malaysia. We

climbed the almost 300 steps of a

brightly pl paint painted temple. We saw

creatures in the aquarium and bird park

which were fascinating.

And more than once um my husband's words

to me was this is such a nice family

time and that it was.

So think of that time I asked you to

think of at the beginning. Was it a

year? Was it a holiday? Was it a season?

Was it a short time?

What was it that you remember being a

good time? And I think for the majority

of us, if not all of us, all the times

that you can think of right now were

times that you are not in a time of

rush, a holiday, a time in your younger

years where there was no stress.

Spending time together on leave when

you've got a newborn. It's busy, but

it's not rushed. You can take it all in.

Traveling with someone you love and

sightseeing.

Relaxing at home doing something that

you enjoy. Strolling along the beach.

Times where you were enjoying something

in your life.

Work, family, your loved ones, and you

spent it without rush when you slowed

down. For us, this holiday was nice to

be spending time together as a family

without the rush or routine of daily

life, but time to take in the extra

moments.

It happens to all of us. Life gets busy.

Life gets chaotic, rushed. There's so

much to fit in. For me, I had a pretty

busy year last year. Life is generally

busy when you have a husband who works

close to full-time shift work. Three

children in school, one in primary, one

in high school starting a new school

last year, one in senior school year 11,

which these days is, if not busier than

year 12, who is also learning how to

drive. Each participates in activities

outside of school, so they need to train

and play games or practice practice an

instrument or attend a performance. I've

always worked since my first part-time

job at age 14. When the girls were

young, I worked one then two days a

week. A few years ago, I increased to

three days a week. And just before

Christmas, the year before last, my boss

told me she was retiring. And by January

that year, I was working four days a

week. So last year was a busy year for

me. As well as this, like a lot of

people, I manage a chronic health issue.

It adds in the extra appointment once or

twice a month, specialist, GP, nurse,

physio extras, and all the waiting time

that goes along with that with the

public hospital system.

As well as this, it is nice to see

friends and family sometimes. Um, and

our family, our faith is our priority.

So, we we are involved in the church. We

go to church most weeks. I'm involved in

the preaching roster, volunteering in

the church, plus all the other things

like making a house, keeping the garden

alive, which unfortunately is just

hanging in there. Um, it's not thriving,

but it is alive. Um, walking the dog,

looking after the managerie we call our

own, the dog, the cat, the frog, the

guinea pig, a dozen chickens. Thanks,

Wanita, for keeping them alive when we

were away.

[laughter]

But I love it. I love being busy.

By the end of the year though, last year

I was exhausted. I was gradually

becoming more and more rushed. I had not

that m much extra to give. My meals had

got a bit lazy. And while the girls

didn't complain, I know they're a bit

slap dash, maybe not as nutritional as

they should have been. Probably a bit

much takeaway slipped in there. And as

often happens towards the end of the

year, I began to reflect on how I can

make some simple changes so that this

year I would feel less rushed. I've

always hated New Year's New Year's

resolutions. So, I didn't do that. But

from November, I really sought to sought

God to help guide me to make some

conscious and thoughtful decisions, a

bit of a refocus

to look at my priorities. And so I start

implementing some things in December.

Still looking at ways to simplify areas

of my life to do more of the things I

like like cooking or gardening or

reading or knitting. Don't judge me. But

we're looking at prayer in October,

November at church. So I really started

to focus on that. I felt that I needed

to prioritize God even more in my life.

Read the Bible more. I've read it

through before and I do read it, but my

regular reading had slowed. So, I

ordered a book to help guide me through

reading the Bible in a year. I started

that while we were away, and God has

continued to guide me to make simple

changes just to reduce that rush.

Putting down the phone, reducing social

media use, not worrying about world

issues that are beyond my control,

but trusting that God is in control.

While we were away, I searched up

recipes that were good to make, that

were easy, quick, but really tasty. And

I've already started to to make them

when we've got home.

I'm trying to be organized, trying to be

well planned. And during our first

service this year, Ben a couple of weeks

ago shared and he mentioned that verse

in Matthew 11:28-30,

Matthew 11:28–30

come to me. And it really spoke to me,

he will give us rest. And when I

listened to Ben Sharer, I clearly felt

that word busy, the rush, the busyiness

of life. That's what God wanted me to

share about today. Our lives are so

busy. Sometimes we can trick oursel that

we're almost too busy to come to God

with our problems, but we try and solve

them ourselves. A quick Google search or

talk about them with someone else or

maybe just let them bubble and fester

away inside.

Steve came last week and shared about

being poised again right with what was

being stirred in my heart.

So I've titled my message today busy

find rest.

I want you to notice a common theme in

the following verses as I read them. In

Matthew 9 Jesus traveled through all the

towns and villages of that area teaching

in the synagogues announcing the good

news about the kingdom. And he healed

every kind of disease and illness. You

see, he didn't just go to the big towns.

He went even to the villages and healed

every illness, which would mean on any

person, not just certain types of

people. In Matthew 4:18, one day as

Matthew 4:18

Jesus was walking along the shore of the

Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,

Simon, also called Peter and Andrew,

throwing a net in the water, for they

fish for a living. Note, he took the

time to walk along the shore.

In Matthew 14, when Jesus heard the

news, that was a news about um them

wanting to kill John the Baptist, he

left in a boat to a remote area to be

alone.

After sending them home, he went up into

the hills by himself to pray. Night fell

while he was there alone. In Matthew 15,

Jesus returned to the sea and climbed a

hill and sat down.

In Mark 10, Jesus was walking ahead of

them. In Mark 11, as Jesus was walking

through the temple area. In John 1, as

Jesus walked by. In John 10, Jesus was

in the temple courts walking in

Solomon's colonade.

And as I look at Jesus life and

ministry, I notice something. Jesus was

never rushed.

He walked. He left to be alone. He went

places by himself. He sat down.

The Bible does not record Jesus running

or jogging or skipping or rushing or

even fast walking.

He walked, he waited, he withdrew to

spend time alone. His ministry covered

three years. Yet what was learned and

taught in that time is still spoken of

today.

Is still relevant today. Yet he didn't

rush.

Steve mentioned last week in his sermon

when Lazarus was ill, they called him

and he waited two days before going

back.

He didn't rush. He took time to break

bread with his disciples.

He stopped and talked to people along

the way, to teach a crowd a valuable

lesson, to go to someone's house that

someone else would go to, to speak to

someone who others overlooked. Jesus

behavior was not rushed. He was busy. He

did a lot of teaching. He went to a lot

of places, but he was never rushed.

You see, walking was a way of life for

Jesus. His ministry involved extensive

walking, often long distances.

He set a deliberate pace. He chose slow

travel, walking or even riding a donkey.

and he rem remained present. He never

appeared rushed even when people pursued

him.

He escaped danger in Luke 4:28-30. When

Luke 4:28–30

the people of Nazareth tried to throw

him off a cliff, he walked through the

crowd and went his way. He didn't run

away from trouble and he had a focus on

others. He didn't chase after betrayers

like Judas did. Instead, he allowed

events to unfold, ultimately even

allowing his own death on a cross to

unfold as the father intended.

Let me bring this together. In 1 John

1 John 2:6

2:6, it tells us, "Whoever claims to

live like him must live as Jesus did."

In Mark 2:13-14,

Mark 2:13–14

Jesus said to Levi, "Come follow me."

And Levi followed him.

Jesus calls us follow him. So

practically speaking, if Jesus walks, he

wants us to walk. He wants us to follow

him. If Jesus didn't rush, as those who

believe and follow him, we should also

not rush.

If you don't know the direction to

someone's house and you've got your car

and I've got my car, I might say,

"Follow me. I'll I'll show you the way

to get there."

It would make no sense then for you to

speed past me because you don't know

where you're going. So if Jesus didn't

rush, why would we sprint past him if

he's asked us to follow him? Following

someone means you need to go at their

pace.

If I go walking with a friend for

exercise, we can crack a fair pace, get

the heart pumping.

But if I take grandma to the shop, I

have to change that pace so that I can

walk alongside of her.

So, how do we change from the busyiness

of life, that rush of so much to do to

find rest in God, in his word? There are

stories and examples. There's wisdom.

There's revelation. God speaks through

the scriptures. I decided the end of

last year, I want to read through the

Bible again. But I don't want to set

myself up for failure. So, I chose to do

it in a way that's achievable. And for

me, that was doing it over a year. Of

course, I can do it quicker if it turns

out that way, which maybe it will, but I

didn't want to choose a time frame which

made it a chore or a burden or

unattainable. So, I found a guide that

looked achievable. It estimates about 15

minutes a day. I can do that. I spend

more time than that on social media

every day, so I'm choosing to do a bit

less scrolling and more reading. The

plan I chose has a guide for six days of

the week of what to read.

allowing time on the seventh day to

catch up on things you may have missed.

For me, that was important. Things

happen. Well-intended plans don't

happen. And so, I've poised myself for

success and not failure. And so far,

I've ended up reading more than intended

each day because some of the Old

Testament is actually a really good

read. The stories are incredible. How

long they live for, what they conquered,

the trust and faith they had. It's easy

to read things in the Old Testament and

not understand it properly. You've got

to slow down. You've got to go deeper.

You've got to find out more. When the

Israelites were freed by God from Egypt,

it took 40 years of wandering the desert

before God allowed them to enter the

promised land. The time they spent

waiting on God. For 40 years, they had

to learn to trust God again.

changing from that slave mentality to

the mentality of a free people. The fear

and disobedience just added to that

time. 40 years. You think of that, you

think that seems like a long time. I can

still say I haven't even been alive for

that long.

Just

they had to wait on God. But think about

it. How often do we wait for something

that we really want? How many people

long to buy a brand new car one day and

then when you're 60 or 70 you finally

get to buy that brand new car or that

holiday to Europe that you work all your

life to make

to see a friend from school that you

haven't seen for 60 years and you

finally see again. Many of us wait for

years for our miracle that cure to be

declared healthy for that baby for those

loved ones. The thing is, we wait if

it's something that we want. But when

God asks us patience, it's so hard.

When we have to wait two years for a

surgery, it's not fair. The thing is is

that we are living in a society, a

generation of rush. We have access to

everything at our fingertips. We are on

call, alert, accessible, informed, and

reachable all of the time. We are rushed

all of the time. My children will tell

me off if they open my phone and they've

got I've got too many tabs open. You

have to swipe them up to get rid of

them. But sometimes that's exactly what

my brain feels like. I've got so many

thoughts and tabs open in my mind at

once. So many that you can't actually

begin to sort them out. It's important

for us to live out of rest, not full

rest.

Matthew 11:29-30

Matthew 11:29–30

says, "Come to me, all you who are weary

and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,

for I am gentle and humble in heart. You

will find rest for your soul. My yoke is

easy, my burden is light."

There's I've got this book on Hebrew

words, and there was a really good

little bit in there on rest.

It says, "When he said, "I will give you

rest." He was quoting from the book of

Exodus when Moses asked God to teach him

how to know the Father better. In

response to this request, God replied,

"My presence will go with you and I will

give you rest." That's in Exodus 33.

Was saying that if Moses faithfully

followed the Lord's commands, he would

know God better and be rested. The

Hebrew word for rest in this verse is

new, which means to be settled and

comforted.

How can you find rest today? It's

simple. Rest or newuck comes when you

devote yourself to being faithful in

following Jesus. That's when you'll feel

settled.

You see, when we take God's yoke upon

us,

we are walking in tune with him, walking

in his rest. His yoke is easy. The

burden is actually lighter. We are able

to then step out in rest. When we come

to him, we learn those unforced rhythms

of grace. A shift from the life of

striving, pressure, and legalism into a

life of ease and freedom and intimacy

with God. We take his yoke upon us. It

focuses the idea of being with Jesus

rather than doing things for him. The

value of connection, letting go of the

ended to control or fix everything and

instead trusting that God will bear the

weight.

Come to me. We are following God's pace,

not ours. Walking, not running. He will

give us rest. He will help us with our

burdens. He will help us find rest.

Everything we need to find rest is in

him.

At a conference a couple of years ago, I

heard a lady speak on emotional

intelligence, and it was really

interesting listening to what she had to

say. She said something I continue to

remember. She talked about using the

word busy as simple as, "Oh, how are

you?" "Oh, I'm so busy." She talked

about how straight away that can shut

down a conversation. Do they have time

for me? They're busy. Maybe I'm not as

important as them. And went on to talk

about the different kinds of busy, good

and bad. And that stuck with me. Not all

busy is bad. There are many periods in

our life where we are busy. We have

young families during times of study

during certain career moments in your

life. I've observed for a lot of people

the busiest times in their life is when

they have grandchildren and aging

parents and are still working. Good busy

can be fulfilling and enriching. But bad

busy is overwhelming, consuming and

limiting. I want a good busy fulfilling

life with time to do the things I enjoy,

not rushed.

So, I've put together a few key points

that I thought can help getting that

balance to feel less rushed.

The first point is you must prioritize

God. It seems pretty easy, right?

Logical even. I mean, we're all here

this morning, so we can tick that one

off. No further explanation needed.

Unfortunately, it is a little bit more

than that. is more than just an hour a

week or a quick, "Oh, thanks God for

letting me get a park ride outside the

shop door.

It's getting up each day and saying,

"I'm intentionally going to put you

first today, God." It's making a

deliberate choice to choose God, to

choose to make him a priority.

I've decided to read the Bible more and

read it through. So, if I'm going to

spend half an hour reading, something

else has to give. There are only 24

hours in a day.

Maybe I put down my phone earlier and

make a choice to read instead of scroll.

Maybe I choose to listen to some worship

or praise music instead of music that I

might normally listen to. And it doesn't

mean all the time. You're allowed to

enjoy music and what shows that you

enjoy. But it's about making small

sacrifices to prioritize God. Perhaps

you come to church once a month.

Challenge yourself to come twice a

month. Perhaps you come every week.

Maybe it's time to challenge yourself to

volunteer in a different capacity. Maybe

you have a great prayer life. But maybe

you need to prioritize God with your

finances or another area of your life

that you struggle with.

Proverbs 16:3 says, "Commmit to the Lord

Proverbs 16:3

whatever you do, and he will establish

your plans in everything you do. When

you put God first, he will direct and

crown your efforts with success."

Maybe it's God. I don't know what the

right choice is. Proverbs 3:6 says,

Proverbs 3:6

"Seek his will in all you do, and he

will show you the path to take." If it

just feels so complicated or everything

so overwhelming where you don't know if

you can give it all to God, think of

what was written in Amos 5'8. He who

made Palades and Oran, who turns

midnight into dawn, darkness darkens day

into night, who calls for the waters of

the sea and pours them over the face of

the land. The Lord is his name. He is an

all powerful God. It doesn't matter what

the burden, what the issue, what the

need, he can handle it.

We know that to find rest, we must

prioritize God. We've heard it said. The

thing is getting the information is good

and even be life-changing some

information but if that information is

not taken in and given the time it needs

to transform behaviors or your health or

your mind it'll only ever be

information.

Transformation takes time. The doctor

can tell you your blood pressure is

high. You need to reduce your salt

intake. Maybe lose some weight to

control your blood pressure. They can

print out a handout and give it to you.

But if that handout sits on the floor of

the backseat of the car, that will never

change your life.

The information is good. It's lifech

changing,

but it needs to come inside. It needs to

be stuck on your fridge and over the

next few months, you need to start to

read it and apply it. Maybe reduce a bit

of salt in your cooking or start to just

go for little walks. And over time, that

information becomes real and

transformational.

It's the same with God. Prioritizing God

becomes transformational in our lives.

We know God loves us. We know he wants

the best for us. We may understand some

of the character of God, but to go more

deeply in a relationship where we can

unconditionally trust and prioritize

God. We need to make what we know as

information into transformation.

We can provide you a a Bible verse on a

card to take at the end of the service

or a print out or a reading plan to

strengthen your Bible reading. But if

it's never used or never prayed upon or

never discussed, it will always just be

words on a printout. If you read it,

think about what it means to you and how

to apply it. It begins to transform your

life.

Isaiah 40:31 says, "Those who hope in

Isaiah 40:31

the Lord will renew their strength. They

will soar on wings like eagles. They

will run and not grow weary. And they

will walk and not be faint.

The second point is it's okay to say no.

And I strongly feel that for some people

this is something you need to hear. It's

okay to say no. Sometimes is actually

necessary.

I've had significant health issues over

the last almost 10 years. There have

been times in there I have been very

productive, very well, very capable and

very balanced. And there are times in

there that I've had to step back. I've

had to say no. And I've realized it's

okay. You do not need to be involved in

everything.

And this applies both inside and outside

of the church. I want to make it clear

when we need rest, it doesn't mean to

stop everything you do outside the

church and suddenly spend all your time

in the church. We must never get so busy

doing that we forget what our first love

is. And when I did say no, I discovered

something. Do you want to know what it

is? I discovered that the world

continues to spin when I step back. It's

okay to say no. I've said no when asked

to help organize things or go somewhere

or be involved in something. And those

things went on perfectly fine without

me. and it allowed me to make my

priorities right and put my focus where

it needed to be at that time. See, faith

doesn't always look like confidence.

Sometimes it looks like staying,

trusting, and showing up while God is

still right in the middle of the story.

Matthew 6:25 says, "Don't worry about

Matthew 6:25

God's about life's needs. God's will

provide."

Jesus goes so far in the sermon on the

mount in Matthew 5 to say, "Let what you

say be simply yes or no." It's simple.

No proviso. No, oh, if this happens,

maybe I'll be able to do this. If you

need to say no, say no. No should mean a

clear refusal. It's honest

communication. It's simple, direct

speech rather than manipulation.

The Apostle Paul wrote some guidance

about the importance of setting up

boundaries in Titus 2. For the grace of

God has appeared, bringing salvation for

all people, training us to renounce

ungodliness and worldly passions, and to

live a self-controlled, upright, and

godly lives in the present age. We need

to say no to temptation, to

overcommitment, to unhealthy demands, no

to people pleasing. We need boundaries

to prioritize Christ, and to rest in our

own lives.

The third point,

it's okay to say yes. Hang on, but I

just said it's okay to say no, but on

the other hand, it's okay to say yes. In

fact, it's good to say yes when the

situation is right. The point goes hand

in hand with the previous one. Yes

should mean a firm commitment. In 2

Corinthians 1:19:20, it's written, "As

God's ultimate yes, he always does what

he says, for God's promises have been

fulfilled in Christ with a resounding

yes." Yes can show consistency in

character. Yes can be a sign of

surrender to God and accepting his

salvation, particularly in your life.

Yes to prioritizing God's will. Yes, I'm

going to try something new. I'm going to

invite someone for a coffee.

Maybe it's time to say yes to a coffee

invitation. Maybe it's saying yes to

staying after popup to study the Bible.

Yes, Lord, I commit to read more of your

word. Saying no to the distractions that

hold you back. Maybe it's that extra

task at work or volunteering now and

again in the classroom. I had said no

when I needed time to balance my health,

work, and family.

But I have said yes when the time is

right.

I said yes last year to step back on the

board because I felt the time was right.

And as it turns out, everything with

God's hand on it works in his favor. I

stepped back on the board and now I've

put my hand up to chair the board. It's

okay to say yes. And sometimes saying

yes is is to a calling we don't even

fully understand, but we know that God

wants us to say yes. to trust before we

see it unfold.

To say yes while your heart is still

full of questions.

To learn that obedience doesn't require

clarity. Only surrender. The same God

who overshadowed Mary will continue to

cover our uncertainty, too. He will do

what he promised. Deuteronomy 31:6

Deuteronomy 31:6

reminds us,

be strong. So, be strong and courageous.

Do not be afraid and do not panic before

them. For the Lord your God will

personally go ahead of you. He will

neither fail you or abandon you. So

think about today what God might be

wanting you to say yes to in your life.

And on the same hand, what he might be

wanting you to say no to.

The fourth point is balance is

important. Life should be about balance.

God wants us to find rest. Even God

rested. In Genesis 2 2:3 we read on the

seventh day God had finished his work of

creation. So he rested from all of his

work. And God blessed the seventh day

and declared it holy because it was the

day when he rested from all his work of

creation. Even God rested. It's an

important part of balance to rest to

cease the rushing to spend time slowing

down. It's one of the keys to our health

to reducing stress. Our society has

record high levels of stress, burnout,

depression, anxiety, but also record

high levels of unrest. How many people

haven't had a proper holiday in years?

Even taking a day off here and there, it

actually takes three days on holidays to

de-stress. You have to be on holidays

for at least three days before your body

actually starts to decompress and

recharge.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, "I know the plans I

Jeremiah 29:11

have for you, said the Lord. They're

plans for good and not disaster, to give

you future and a hope." So you see, the

dreams God planted in your heart were

planted for a reason. Chase it and trust

that God will guide you to achieve it.

Spending one hour on something a week

will not help you earn that certificate

or knowledge. Knitting for one hour a

week will not improve your skill, just

maintain it.

To improve your knowledge, your

relationship, your skills, you need to

apply yourself regularly. You have to

spend time with another person to get to

know them. One hour a week in church

will not be enough to get to know God at

the level he wants to know you. We are

wired to be anxious and stressed and

worried, always thinking about the next

thing. But the Bible tells us your worry

won't will not change the situation.

Psalm 55:22 reminds us to cast your

Psalms 55:22

cares on the Lord and he will sustain

you. He will never let the righteous be

shaken.

We need to come to God to sit back and

to let God develop you so that you are

better for tomorrow instead of you

trying to develop tomorrow. Does that

make sense? I'll say it again. Sit back

and let God develop you so that you are

better for tomorrow instead of you

trying to develop tomorrow.

In Psalm 46, the whole chapter remind us

reminds us, but in particularly verse

10, be still and know that I am God.

I've heard Ben say it many times. God is

God and we are not.

We need to get that balance right.

There's a beautiful verse in Psalm 911.

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the

high will rest in the shadow of the

almighty. Like shade on a day like today

gives you rest. Dwelling in the shadow

of the most high will also give you

rest. Rest for your soul.

And my last point is slow down.

Real rest and real grow growth takes

time. Big changes to technology in our

history have taken time. Sure, we get a

new phone update every year with minor

adjustments.

The latest smartphone is somewhat better

than the one the year before, but it

doesn't change that much from year to

year really.

But you look at the initial mobile phone

technology from that big brick to what

you hold in your hand. It took time. It

took 20 years to transform that. Big

change takes time. Transformations take

time.

Do you know where the number one moment

people get their aha moments is? The

number one place that people get that

aha moment.

Close in the shower. The second number

one is in bed. Why do you think that is?

Cuz you're literally doing nothing.

You're standing in the shower. You

hardly walk. You're standing still. You

can't answer your phone. You can't

scroll. you can't watch something.

You're literally standing still.

It's it's a time where you can clear

your mind to gather your thoughts.

For me, I do that every morning. I clear

my mind. I gather my thoughts. And

before bed, I do again. I consciously

made a choice to clear the thoughts from

my mind. I've experienced a lot of times

where I've had a lot of trouble sleeping

and still do sometimes. But what I've

done is a small routine to help me clear

my head and allow my mind to rest. I've

disciplined myself not to use my phone

at night. If I can't sleep, I will lie

there. I will [snorts] not open it up

because on the phone there are so many

things vying for my attention and not

good things. things that will give me

more worries, more stress, consume my

time and my thoughts, leaving me with

less time to rest. So many concerns and

burdens that I don't need to take on.

And since I've been consciously doing

this, I'm finding that most days I can

fall asleep within minutes.

President Ronald Rean walked a lot. He

rested and recharged, and he was known

to make some good decisions. Steve Jobs

was similar. He took deliberate walks

every day. He slowed down and achieved a

lot spiritually in your heart. God can

transform you immediately when you come

to know him. But it takes time to make

those deeper spiritual changes. We have

to slow down and make conscious changes

to our life to allow that transformation

to take place. God gives us scriptures

and guidance to teach us how to grow in

him in our hearts. Not just with our

mind, but our hearts, our actions, and

our lifestyles.

Learning to find rest and prioritize God

takes time. It takes a willing,

deliberate choice to slow down

and be better. You think about love.

Infatuation is immediate. You see

someone and you're infatuated. But love

is a decision that takes time and a lot

of work.

We come to know God and accept him and

we have that instant infatuation. But to

learn to rest in God and trust him and

love him is a decision that takes time.

There's a quote from CS Lewis that says,

"When first things are put first, second

things are not suppressed but

increased." What does that mean? If your

priorities are are right and the first

thing is first, the second thing can be

added and succeed. However, if you try

and put those second things first, you

end up losing both.

In other words, God has to be the

priority. God has to be the first thing.

Then the things that are added are not

suppressed but increased over time. The

faith, the friendships, the growth, the

success, the breakthrough, the finances,

the job, those relationships.

But if those things are our priority and

we add God in, it'll end up in failure.

Prioritizing God is not something that's

as easy as an overnight change. It's an

ongoing deliberate action which like any

change in your life is difficult to

begin with but over time becomes easier

and second nature.

I want to end by reading some of Psalm

91.

Those who live in the shelter of the

most high will find rest in the shadow

of the almighty. This I declare about

the Lord. He alone is my refuge, my

place of safety. He is my God and I

trust him. For he will rescue you from

every trap, protect you from deadly

disease. He will cover you with his

feathers. He will shelter you with his

wings. His faithful promises are your

armor and protection.

Do not be afraid of the terrors of the

night, nor the arrow that flies in the

day. Do not dread the disease that

stalks in the darkness, nor the disaster

that strikes at midday. Though a

thousand will fall at your side, though

10,000 are dying around you, those evils

will not touch you. The Lord says, "I

will rescue those who love me, I will

protect those who trust in my name. When

they call on me, I will answer. I will

be with them in trouble. I will rescue

and honor them. I will reward them with

a long life and give them my salvation."

I don't think it's a coincidence that

God's given us a bit of a theme to start

the year. It's no coincidence that Ben

reminded us that God wants us to come to

him. It's no coincidence that Steve

reminded us to be poised, to be ready

for what God wants to do. And it's no

coincidence that God's been speaking to

me since last year about slowing the

rush.

Slowing down, removing distractions,

focusing on him. It's no coincidence

that you're here today hearing those

words. God has so much he wants to do in

your life. He just wants us to come to

be poised and to find rest. How do we do

that? We make God our priority.

I really feel that this will be an

incredible year of growth for us as a

church. We had our f first board meeting

this week and we are feeling really

excited. We're really looking forward to

the year. So, please do come on board

with us. Position yourself to grow with

us this year.