I completely understand the need for rest…7 to 8 hours nightly, one day weekly, maybe even a week or two annually to step away from the tasks of life to do things that you otherwise couldn’t do because of time, space, or location restraints. I even understand the joy that a holiday brings to an extended weekend away from a manual labor job in order to spend more quality time with family.
But I struggle to understand the NEED to take a break from something I voluntarily committed to participate in for the mutual joy and wellbeing of myself and those to whom I’ve committed. What are these things, you say? Based on the idle complaints I hear and read about, the big three are:
1. Marriage (family).
2. Immediate family.
3. Church family.
Aside from the tragic abuses of these God-designed institutions, why would we voluntarily enter into a covenant relationship or participate in the act of procreation if these are relationships from which we feel so deprived that we NEED a break? Is it any surprise that rulers, authorities, world forces of darkness, and spiritual forces of wickedness primary target for their destruction is the family? Is it any wonder that these forces have found easy prey in our homes and churches?
If it’s because of misuse, abuse, or sinful issues in the relationship(s), what are we doing to diagnose and remedy the root issues rather than run from them? Do we introspectively seek to know how we are contributing to the problem from which we NEED relief? Are we willing to confront the self-centric issues in the family that contribute to the fatigue and burnout we experience?
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