August 16th, 2023
Learn The Unforced Rhythms of Grace
By: Melissa Beauvais
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30 MSG
How do I learn unforced rhythms, God? What are forced rhythms? I journaled these questions when I heard two people quoting Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase of Matthew 11:28-30 twice in a week. The phrase continued to plague my thoughts.
I came to the conclusion that forced rhythms are when we bury ourselves in the hurry of busy things, good things. We jump from one moment to another without pausing, reflecting, or regrouping. Peterson’s paraphrase begins with “are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion?” Often in our journeys we can get caught up with doing the right things, saying the right things, participating in all the right things, and before long we have missed the best thing.
Don’t get me wrong there are moments within the calendar year when it is busy but paradoxically the hurry slows us down. Doing things for God does not cultivate the relationship with God.
Jesus was a busy man. He chose to leave a town that was begging for Him to stay because there was still work to be done (Mark 1:37-38), but He was not hurried. He stopped and took the time to see people when traveling, teach lessons, share parables, look and love people in the eye ( Mark 10:21). He knew when it was time to rest and get away. He knew how to spend time with the Father.
In the moments of doing are making time to be with Jesus? Are we listening to His still small voice and prayerfully considering the next tasks? Do we honor the Sabbath and rest with Him the way He showed us in order to work with Him and know His unforced rhythms of grace?
By: Melissa Beauvais
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30 MSG
How do I learn unforced rhythms, God? What are forced rhythms? I journaled these questions when I heard two people quoting Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase of Matthew 11:28-30 twice in a week. The phrase continued to plague my thoughts.
I came to the conclusion that forced rhythms are when we bury ourselves in the hurry of busy things, good things. We jump from one moment to another without pausing, reflecting, or regrouping. Peterson’s paraphrase begins with “are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion?” Often in our journeys we can get caught up with doing the right things, saying the right things, participating in all the right things, and before long we have missed the best thing.
Don’t get me wrong there are moments within the calendar year when it is busy but paradoxically the hurry slows us down. Doing things for God does not cultivate the relationship with God.
Jesus was a busy man. He chose to leave a town that was begging for Him to stay because there was still work to be done (Mark 1:37-38), but He was not hurried. He stopped and took the time to see people when traveling, teach lessons, share parables, look and love people in the eye ( Mark 10:21). He knew when it was time to rest and get away. He knew how to spend time with the Father.
In the moments of doing are making time to be with Jesus? Are we listening to His still small voice and prayerfully considering the next tasks? Do we honor the Sabbath and rest with Him the way He showed us in order to work with Him and know His unforced rhythms of grace?
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