Archive for the 'Bible Studies for Life' Category
Thanking God for Rest
In this unit of Bible Studies for Life, Productive, we have been looking at the biblical teaching on work, including how to be generous with the income we receive. To be thoroughly biblical, however, any discussion on work needs to include the concept of rest.
The United States is a work-intensive culture. On average, Americans in the workforce work 11 hours more per week than in the 1970s.1 A June, 2013 CBS News report found most American workers are unhappy at work.2 I wonder if the extra work and unhappiness at work are related. Followers of Christ recognize the value of work, but we should also recognize the value of rest.
Rest is God’s Idea
God instituted a Sabbath day for the children of Israel patterned after His own activity. After the six days of creation, the Bible records that God rested: “By the seventh day God completed His work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work that He had done. God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, for on it He rested from His work of creation.”3 This pattern of rest was instituted by God for the people, animals, and land.
Because we live in a society not given to biblical thought, not only is the idea of a Sabbath foreign, often the idea of rest is, too. Christ’s followers are forced into a mold of economic productivity driven by greed; which can make us feel like we are merely cogs in someone else’s wheel. We feel it in our relationships, our spiritual life, and our bodies. Weekends become recovery times rather than rest and recreation times. That is, for those who get a weekend.
God is Serious about Rest
So serious was the idea of a Sabbath rest for God, that He commanded Sabbath violators be put to death.4 As Nick and I noted in this unit, “Observing a weekly day of rest and worship is a gift from the Lord as well as a holy obligation. Throughout Christian history, most believers have applied the principle of setting aside a day of rest and worship to the first day of the week as ‘the Lord’s day’ (Rev. 1:10)”5
Because of the pressures around the workweek – and often the requirement of Saturday work – some Christ followers turn the Lord’s day into a day of physical entertainment. Our temptation to neglect worship in favor of football, fishing, or shopping is to our detriment. Gathering with other believers for corporate worship to the Father, Son, and Spirit is a significant part of our rest. We need to rest from work and rest in the Lord.
God has already done Salvation’s Work
The writer of Hebrews built on this concept of rest while reminding his readers we do not work for salvation. “The person who has entered His rest has rested from his own works, just as God did from His.” To say it another way, we receive salvation when we rest in God’s rest, not when we work to earn it.
We should be thankful for rest; both spiritual rest and the physical rest it encourages. We need not work ourselves to death for material possessions, as we have all we need in Christ. And, we need not work ourselves to death for salvation, as Christ has done all that needs to be done to secure it. Therefore, let us rest as God has and experience that bit of heaven here on earth.
Yours for the Great Commission,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Senior Pastor, Cross Church
General Editor, Bible Studies for Life
1–http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/life-line-healthful-habits-made-simple/2012/apr/22/nation-overworked-abandoning-happiness-and-health-/
2–http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57590832/
3-Genesis 2:2, 3 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
4-Exodus 31:15
5–Bible Studies for Life, Productive, by Ronnie and Nick Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
4 Actions to Create a Generosity Plan
In my last few posts related to Bible Studies for Life, we have been looking at being productive. This unit, Productive, was written by my son, Nick, and me. In it, we hope to address the subject of Christians and work. That includes how we handle the fruit of our labors.
Last week, I wrote about generosity. Specifically, I noted how money can be used to meet needs and included this warning, “Certainly there is nothing wrong with budgeting, especially when it helps us be better managers of all God has entrusted to us. But, if budgeting only serves as a more efficient means accumulating possessions we might need a spirit check.”
I think most Christians really want to be generous. Few followers of Jesus want to be known for their stinginess. One problem we face is the lack of intentionality in giving. Too often, giving is an afterthought – as if we don’t consider it until the mortgage, water, power, gas, car, groceries and kids’ activities have all been paid. Today, I want to give a brief, but I hope helpful, action plan that points toward a lifestyle of generosity. It is focused on saving some here and there to have more to give later.
1. Cut back on the number of times you eat out.
According to this recent article in Forbes, Americans spend more than $900 each year eating out for lunch. That does not include other meals we eat in restaurants solely for convenience. If we ate out at lunch half as much as we do, that would potentially free hundreds of dollars a year to give to God’s work.
2. Order smaller meals when you do eat out.
Almost no American needs to supersize a meal. Order the regular portion and save the difference to give later. Some full-service restaurants include so much food on the order, it’s almost impossible to eat it all. Consider sharing a meal and give the cost savings later to a person in need.
3. Sell things you no longer need.
Have you ever noticed the longer you live, the more stuff you seem to collect? Remember that boat/car/collectible you could not pass up? How many times have you thought recently, “I should go ahead and sell that?” Perhaps you should. The money tied up in that asset might fund a child (or children) for summer camp, send someone on a mission trip, increase a building fund, or feed many hungry families.
4. Designate a portion of your income as a Generosity Fund.
One thing that hinders us is thinking we do not have enough money to make a difference in someone’s life. Frankly, if seventy cents is the difference between regular fries and supersized, that will not go far. But what if we set aside all of our small savings for a big opportunity to give? What if we ate out ½ the times of the average American and saved $350 between January and November, saved another $100 by ordering smaller portions, then sold an item or items throughout the year, totaling $550? When December came around, we could have as much as $1,000 to fulfill a purpose in God’s kingdom.
Maybe this is one way in which we see 2 Corinthians 9:8 fulfilled in our own lives: “And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work” (HCSB).
Yours for the Great Commission,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Senior Pastor, Cross Church
General Editor, Bible Studies for Life
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.