Cherish Your Vitality
Then because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” So they went away by themselves . . . to a solitary place. Mark 6:30-32, NIV.
Jesus knew His personal ministry on earth wouldn’t last long, and one of His main objectives was to train His disciples to carry on when He was gone. Therefore, it was important to use every opportunity for them to gain the instruction and experience they would need. It was an intense course of study.
Even at the end of each day their work was not finished. If they were to take time out, many of the needy people would not receive the help they needed. So it was only natural that they would try to work continuously lest they neglect any opportunity. But even so, the Master arranged for a period of relaxation and rejuvenation. He placed a higher priority on the need for preserving vitality and efficiency than on continuously responding to whatever cried for their attention.
It is clear that working beyond one’s capabilities, even in a worthy enterprise, carries the risk of defeat. Take the case of Margery, a 34-year-old schoolteacher and mother of three, who was beginning to suffer from migraine headaches. Typical of most persons who suffer from migraine, she was a highly organized and efficient mother, homemaker, and teacher. She did all this, however, by sheer determination and at the price of not having time to consider the beauties and blessings that surrounded her. Margery felt personally responsible for her pupils’ progress and her family’s comfort and welfare. But she was not taking time to replenish the energy she was consuming.
What would remedy the headaches? Should she quit? Not necessarily. Margery needed to reconsider her personal limitations and adopt a new lifestyle in which she shared her responsibilities with others. She could petition the school board to provide a volunteer aid for her classroom and could counsel with her husband and children to see how she could be relieved of some routine home duties. Most of all, she needed time to be by herself and think, pray, and relax.
Just as Jesus summoned His disciples apart to replenish their energy, He is calling you. What changes do you need to make in your life so you can do as He urges?
Jesus knew His personal ministry on earth wouldn’t last long, and one of His main objectives was to train His disciples to carry on when He was gone. Therefore, it was important to use every opportunity for them to gain the instruction and experience they would need. It was an intense course of study.
Even at the end of each day their work was not finished. If they were to take time out, many of the needy people would not receive the help they needed. So it was only natural that they would try to work continuously lest they neglect any opportunity. But even so, the Master arranged for a period of relaxation and rejuvenation. He placed a higher priority on the need for preserving vitality and efficiency than on continuously responding to whatever cried for their attention.
It is clear that working beyond one’s capabilities, even in a worthy enterprise, carries the risk of defeat. Take the case of Margery, a 34-year-old schoolteacher and mother of three, who was beginning to suffer from migraine headaches. Typical of most persons who suffer from migraine, she was a highly organized and efficient mother, homemaker, and teacher. She did all this, however, by sheer determination and at the price of not having time to consider the beauties and blessings that surrounded her. Margery felt personally responsible for her pupils’ progress and her family’s comfort and welfare. But she was not taking time to replenish the energy she was consuming.
What would remedy the headaches? Should she quit? Not necessarily. Margery needed to reconsider her personal limitations and adopt a new lifestyle in which she shared her responsibilities with others. She could petition the school board to provide a volunteer aid for her classroom and could counsel with her husband and children to see how she could be relieved of some routine home duties. Most of all, she needed time to be by herself and think, pray, and relax.
Just as Jesus summoned His disciples apart to replenish their energy, He is calling you. What changes do you need to make in your life so you can do as He urges?
Used by permission of Health Ministries, North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.
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