Jesus] Said To Them, "Come Aside By Yourselves To ...

Jesus] said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.. --Mark 6:31

Philip Melancthon, the great Reformation theologian, once said to his friend Martin Luther, "This day you and I will discuss the governance of the universe." What Luther said in response was unexpected: "This day you and I will go fishing and leave the governance of the universe to God."

Dr. M. R. De Haan, the founder of Radio Bible Class, always carried the responsibility of leadership with a conscientious seriousness of purpose. His ministry of speaking, writing, and broadcasting touched the lives of millions. Yet he also loved taking time out to "wet a line," and he did it often enough to balance out the responsibilities of his work.

If we are going to serve Christ effectively, we need balance in our lives. We cannot go full speed in the work of the Lord for too long without rest or diversion. We have to counterbalance the seriousness of our mission with good relaxation.

It’s important to be diligent in our work for the Lord. But sometimes we get so engrossed in our tasks and activities that we become exhausted and begin to lose perspective. We need to rest, as our Lord advised the disciples. We just may have to say, "Let’s go fishing!" --DCE

Once my hands were always trying,

Trying hard to do my best;

Now my heart is sweetly trusting,

And my soul is all at rest. --Simpson

Come apart and rest awhile,

or you may just plain come apart. --Havner (Our Daily Bread)