The one about the Flat Battery

So, I ran out at high-speed and jumped into the car and as I turned the key and the engine did nothing :(. The car had a flat battery because we had only used it for very short journeys for a few months and then it had sat on the driveway without use for a few weeks.

We jump started the car and I drove it for about 15 miles and we thought we had given it a good charge and it would all be okay.

The next morning, I ran at high-speed and jumped into the car again and as I turned the key and the engine did nothing :(. The car had a flat battery again :(.

We borrowed a mains charger from a neighbour and charged the car battery to full which took all day and the car has been fine since :).

I’m taking a few days off work to recharge my batteries. Thinking about it, I probably didn’t run at high-speed or jump into the car, I have been tired and this rest will do me good.

One of the things that I love about Christianity is that God wants us to rest rather than to wear ourselves out. We can’t all be on holiday all the time, but we can stop and rest well during each week.

In particular God wants us to take one day a week as a Sabbath on which we should rest.

Life is so full and stressful, even things like TV that are supposed to relieve stress can actually sometimes cause more frustration. We can record things to watch and then if we don’t have enough time to watch them all we get stressed by the thing that is supposed to be helping us relax. I have recently decided to stop watching some of the TV series I had been following in order to rest better.

How can we rest well?

First we have to be to let go of our work and stress. What are the things that represent our work, and how do we leave them behind? It might involve turning off a mobile phone, not opening e-mails and perhaps explaining to work colleagues why you believe it is important to protect a day off and so you will be uncontactable in that time. For me an essential part of this laying aside is asking God to take those things and to help me to let go.

Many church leaders feel that they cannot have a full day off if a church member needs them and this makes me really sad. I sometimes say to people,

If you need me on my day off, I won’t be available and so you will have to try God.

Just let the irony of this statement sink I n if you feel like people can’t manage without you. It’s God’s church, it’s God’s work and it’s God who cares, we join with him in all these things but he doesn’t need us.

We need to work out what gives us rest. We can rest in so many ways, but we need to find what works for us. I recently spent a day at a theme park by myself. I hadn’t planned to be there alone but I found the space (amongst the noise of the day!) really restful. Sometimes I need space, I need to be all by myself and if I don’t make time for this then I will feel eventually feel tired.

Have you ever stopped to consider what gives you rest?

Is it peace and quiet or is it the need to laugh with people?

Is it sitting on a beach or going for an energetic walk?

Is it doing something mindless or giving yourself time to think?

We’re all different (some of us are much more different than others), so be yourself because you are the only person who can be you.

We can find rest in God.

The Bible tells us that our soul can only find rest in God.

I have found that it is only by connecting with, talking with and receiving from God that I find real rest that is satisfying and that will last.

Anyway, back to the car battery. Car batteries are designed to be charged by the alternator when the engine is running. Our car wouldn’t start because it hadn’t been used.

God offers us the wonderful gift of a living faith that will transform our lives. When we live our faith enthusiastically it leaves us full of life, but when we neglect our faith we can end up demoralized and discouraged.

Why not take your faith out for a spin today?

Let’s choose to live life to the full and to give God the glory in all that we do.

Let’s look to God and receive his presence and power as a gift as we live well.

Lets keep our spiritual batteries charged as we live for God each day in his power and strength.

How charged up are you?