What type of rest do you need? Today and during this holiday season—may you enjoy a bit of rest away from the “crowds.”
Then Jesus said, ‘Let’s get away from the crowds for a while and rest.’
(Mark 6:31 NLT)
For many of you it’s ‘Christmas Break,’ and a few of you are just days away from it! Most kids are out of school or home from college. Many employers are giving their staff a few days or the entire week off prior to or after Christmas. The desire to rest, take a breather and celebrate is in the air! Taking a break—from the “crowds,” the needs, to-do lists, deadlines, pressures, stress and busyness of day-to-day living—is healthy!
If you’ve been going full tilt as a student, parent, employer or employee—may you, this Christmas season, find some time to get away from the crowds for a while and rest.
People define rest in various ways. For some, resting means to sleep. For others, it’s a chance to work on the things they enjoy. And yet to others, the perfect rest is thinking, reading and relaxing. Still, for others, cleaning, organizing, purging and decluttering gives them rest. Exercise, skiing, snowmobiling or some other physical activity brings rest to others. Getting ahead of the curve gives some people mental rest. There are many ways to rest and we all need it for our minds, emotions and bodies.
Perhaps the most satisfying, fulfilling, enriching type of rest is to rest in the Lord—to spend quality time in fellowship with God—making a rich connection with Him. When our spirit is at rest, our entire soul and body is refreshed.
What type of rest do you need? Today and during this holiday season—may you enjoy a bit of rest away from the “crowds.”
Say It:
Father, thank You for the opportunity to get away from the ‘crowds’ for a while to rest. I ask for Your refreshing in my spirit, soul and body. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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As a young couple, fresh out of Bible School with Two daughters and a third child on the way, Jeff and Beth Jones felt God's call to pioneer Valley Family Church in 1991 with a vision to make an eternal difference in Southwest Michigan. As a husband and wife team, they have always led together as visionary pastors and have shared the pulpit as Bible teachers. They are passionate about building the local church in greater Kalamazoo and the global church around the world.
Their message has always been focused on the basics of the Bible and has remained consistent since VFC's beginning. Throughout VFC's history, the goal of their teaching has been to help people live an abundant life through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit, and through faith in God's Word. In short, it's our mission statement: we exist to help people become devoted followers of Jesus who get the Bible basics, live the life and do the stuff.
Jeff and Beth have four kids and four grandchildren. Meghan is married to Brodie Hock. Annie is married to Zack Spangler. Luke is married to Kelsey Jones. Eric is married to Alexa Jones. All of their kids and in-laws have served with them in the church for many years and each sense their own unique calling to ministry.