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June 3 - December 6, 2020
In his mercy, God gently whispered a response: You can focus on the fact that fear came knocking, or you can focus on the fact that I always make a way of escape.
“I will always make a way of escape . . . that you will be able to bear it.”1
God makes a way of escape. Not only that, but he promises a life of abundance—a rich life—not just escape from negative cycles.
As long as there is darkness in this world, we’ll be tempted to disengage or give in to
anxiety and fear. But over and over, Scripture tells us not to fear. As Jesus said, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”
God knew that as long as fear lives in our hearts, we’d live crippled lives. We
Practical acts like fasting from media (Rest), exercising (Restore), sharing a laugh (Connect), or recovering an old talent (Create) can help us break the anxiety-inducing cycles of the world around us and bring balance to our otherwise hectic lives.
Rest and Restore—are “input rhythms,” rhythms that allow the peace of Jesus to fill us. The latter two rhythms—Connect and Create—are “output rhythms,” rhythms that pull us out of our own heads and help us engage with the world around us.
Rest precedes blessing. We don’t have to run to earn rest; we run fueled by a posture of rest.
It’s a combination of habits, patterns, and rhythms that keeps the angst at bay.
Where is God leading me? What new people has he placed in my path? What new commitment is he asking me to make?
By resting from social media, I’d recovered the lost art of paying attention, and somehow, that brought me a sense of peace and tranquility.
You cannot heal what is hidden, but when you confess something out loud, you bring it into the light, where it can be healed. The power of guilt and shame has no hold on you any longer, because secrets lose power when they exit the dark.
We must Sabbath.
Isaiah 58:11–12: I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places— firm muscles, strong bones. You’ll be like a well-watered garden, a gurgling spring that never runs dry.
You’ll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew, rebuild the foundations from out of your past. You’ll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again.
