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- Apr 25, 2006
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Withdrawing in Order to Draw
‘…He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.’
John 6:15
The secret to success lies in knowing what God has assigned and gifted you to do. Once you discover those two things, delegate the rest or let it go. This isn't easy, because others will place demands on your time and energy that aren't in line with your calling. Work out what activities drain you, and unless they’re essential—avoid them. Then, work out the things that energise you and fill your tank, and make them an essential part of your life. ‘But there are so many demands on my time,’ you say. Nobody was busier than Jesus.
John speaks about His workload: ‘…There are…things that Jesus did, which if they were written…the world itself could not contain the books that would be written…’ (John 21:25 NKJV).
Question: How did Jesus stay on track and keep from burning out? Answer: He knew the secret to spiritual rest and renewal. The Bible says, ‘When Jesus perceived…they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.’ The word ‘again’ tells us that Jesus made a regular daily practice of withdrawing from the crowd in order to pray, consider His plans and priorities, and recharge His batteries.
Understand this: to be effective with others, you must learn to be comfortable alone with yourself. Novelist Louis Auchincloss said, ‘The only thing that keeps a man going is energy, and what is energy but liking life?’ If you can carve out moments to do what energises you, you’ll have reserves you can draw on when it’s time to give to others.
written by Bob Gass
‘…He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.’
John 6:15
The secret to success lies in knowing what God has assigned and gifted you to do. Once you discover those two things, delegate the rest or let it go. This isn't easy, because others will place demands on your time and energy that aren't in line with your calling. Work out what activities drain you, and unless they’re essential—avoid them. Then, work out the things that energise you and fill your tank, and make them an essential part of your life. ‘But there are so many demands on my time,’ you say. Nobody was busier than Jesus.
John speaks about His workload: ‘…There are…things that Jesus did, which if they were written…the world itself could not contain the books that would be written…’ (John 21:25 NKJV).
Question: How did Jesus stay on track and keep from burning out? Answer: He knew the secret to spiritual rest and renewal. The Bible says, ‘When Jesus perceived…they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.’ The word ‘again’ tells us that Jesus made a regular daily practice of withdrawing from the crowd in order to pray, consider His plans and priorities, and recharge His batteries.
Understand this: to be effective with others, you must learn to be comfortable alone with yourself. Novelist Louis Auchincloss said, ‘The only thing that keeps a man going is energy, and what is energy but liking life?’ If you can carve out moments to do what energises you, you’ll have reserves you can draw on when it’s time to give to others.
written by Bob Gass
