Idling

rest, inspiration, Jesus,A friend and I were making the long drive from Calgary to Vancouver. We enjoyed the majestic mountain scenery and lively conversation. We also encountered several areas of road construction which slowed us down. In one of these areas we idled for 30 minutes, waiting for the backlog of traffic on the one open lane to clear, so we could take our turn. We had been moving again for mere minutes when I spotted a sign that struck me as very amusing. It said “BC is Idle Free”.

The sign was there prior to the road construction but its placement now in the middle of this work zone, where we had no choice but to idle, struck me as very ironic. It also made me think of times in my life when my schedule was so full that I longed to be idle for a while.

When I stopped to think about it, I realized that what I needed was rest, not idleness. Rest recharges and rejuvenated. Idleness wastes time.

The Bible promotes rest. Jesus often withdrew to a quiet place to rest. In Proverbs, we are also told us that idleness and a productive life don’t go hand in hand. If I want the life God has planned for me, there will be no idling allowed.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 NLT

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