I was talking this morning with a bunch of pastors about holidays with family and the
question of whether we are resting in the Lord or resting from the
Lord?
To my shame, I have found that rather than just being like the
older brother in the parable - working hard on the farm for the Father
but becoming grumpy and resentful for it, I think I have gone one worse - not
just working for the Father rather than with Him, but worse than that, realising
that a lot of my 'spirituality' was about trying to work the Father in
order to gain success and significance. Maybe that is what older brothers are
doing at the end of the day? When this was not working all that well (and God
makes sure it never does!), then when I was on holiday, I felt a kind of balshy
resentment towards spirituality and just went native. What a mess!
The more my relationship with God has been about relationship,
pure and simple, not working God or working for God, and
sometimes not even working with God but just being with God, I
have found that I carry that spirituality into my leave times quite naturally
and happily. It also means that I am lighter and happier all round, not this
brooding clod of frustration that the family is tip-toeing around
:-(
No comments:
Post a Comment