“Embracing Time Off, Time Out and Time Away”

Job 37:14, “PAUSE a moment, Job, and listen; consider the wonderful things God does.” (GNT)

My Pastor, Bishop James R. Chambers, made this statement and for me, it stuck! Particularly because I’m not so good at giving myself, Time Off, Time Out and Time Away! Which reminds me a lot of my youngest daughter Ashley. I could tell practically from birth, that she was going to be a busy little thing! I went into labor around 2:30pm, I arrived at the hospital and walked straight into the delivery room, and there she was at 3:08pm, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and screaming to the top of her lungs. Clearly, she was going to have no issues with making her voice heard in this here world! Early on I noticed, even when she wasn’t in school yet, that she was always immersed in a project of some kind. One day she was involved first in a detailed coloring project where she was intently working to have it just right, you know. And then there was a large puzzle she was focused on completing. Then there was the keyboard, the Leggo’s, the dolls…even as a small child, she would have ninety projects going on at the same time! However, what she hadn’t taken time out for, was a bathroom break! So, this one particular day she was playing with her little hand-held video game, but she was twitching something awful! Silly me asked, “don’t you think it’s time for a bathroom break? Maybe it’s time to hit ‘PAUSE’ just for a minute?” Without looking up from her current project, she simply said and with all sincerity, “I don’t have time for a ‘pause mommy, I’m too busy.’”

Believe it or not, but many of us have a father, actually a Heavenly Father, who’s saying to us, “don’t you think it’s time for a break? Maybe it’s time to hit ‘PAUSE’ just for a minute?’” But like my busy-body daughter, we’re moving too fast to slow down. We’re focused on the demands and the projects in front of us and we’re saying in essence, “yes, I know something is wrong, I know I need to take a break, I know this will cost me something if I don’t, but right now, I don’t have time to take a ‘PAUSE.’”

Can I tell you, that train of thought didn’t end very well for my daughter, and will not end very well for you either! I’m pretty sure I don’t need to fill you in on the not so pretty details of the daughter who was too preoccupied to take a PAUSE!

Well, in Psalm 46:10, the Bible says this, “Be still, and know that I am God…” (ESV). Another translation says it like this, “That’s enough! Now know that I am God!” (CEB). And that’s exactly what you are being encouraged to do today! That’s enough! Be still and know that He is God! In other words, hit PAUSE and remember WHO’S really in charge here, WHOSE battle this really is, and WHOSE plans you’re supposed to be pursuing!

Think about it: Even in the military they don’t fight non-stop, which is why you are encouraged by these words in yet another translation, “God says, “Stop fighting and know that I am God!” (ERV). No soldier is always in fatigues, no soldier walks around for the rest of his life carrying artillery just waiting for the next battle/war! God may be trying to get you to slow down or to stop right now so He can show you some things that you are never going to see if you’re constantly on the run from one project to the next, one fight to the next, one battle to the next! Jeremiah 33:2-3, “…Call to Me and I will answer you. I’ll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.” (MSG) But how can God show you anything, when your focus is always on everything else?!

It could be that you’ve been running ahead of the Lord’s timing, or you’ve been pursuing what you want instead of what He wants. Which is why Isaiah quotes the Lord as saying, “This is the Lord’s message for His rebellious people: ‘You follow your own plans instead of Mine…” (Isaiah 30:1 CEV). Those are sobering words. Because often we can’t see that we’re trying so desperately to make something work that wasn’t God’s idea or plan in the first place for us! Remember, He clearly stated, “…I’ll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out – plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.” (Jeremiah 29:11 MSG) God already has a plan for your life and therefore He’s in no need of your faulty back-up plan! Yet, like a stubborn oxen, we plow ahead making paths that lead us further and further away from the destiny He’s already pre-designed for us.

And because our Father loves us so much, He has to pull us over to the side of the road for us to realize that we’re on the wrong road! Proverbs 14:12, “There’s a way of life that looks harmless enough; look again – it leads straight to hell. Sure, those people appear to be having a good time, but all that laughter will end in heartbreak.” (MSG); Proverbs 16:25, “Before every man there lies a wide and pleasant road he thinks is right, but it ends in death.” (TLB). I know you think you have this life of yours all figured out, but can I inform you of a real truth? No You Don’t! It’s God’s plan, in God’s timing, in God’s way. Anything else, is like driving to your destination with an outdated map, you will never reach your intended destination because only God knows all the changes that have been made over the years, for your safety!

Maybe you’ve been neglecting the regular timeout that God calls a “Sabbath“; you’re all accelerator and no brakes, you’re violating God’s created order of taking regular rest! You’re daily bypassing all the signs that are God’s messages to you for your safety: ‘Stop, Do Not Enter, Yield, Dead End, One-Way, Wrong Way, U-Turn, Speed Limit, Caution, Bump, Bend, No Passing Zone, Bridge, Slippery Road, Falling Rocks, Road Work Ahead, Detour, Under Construction, Don’t Walk, Slow Down, Hazard, and even Hospital, just in case you decide to ignore all the other signs!”

Even Jesus made time to eat, sleep and weep, so why are you speeding through life as though you are super-human and do not require necessary human breaks! Even Jesus exhibited balance, are we to do any less? “Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to Him and get what He is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.” (Hebrews 4:14-16 MSG)

His help is available, however, you have to ask for it! Matthew 11:28-30, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? COME TO ME. Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (MSG)

That’s Jesus Talking to You! “…COME TO ME…” He’s Inviting You to a Better Way of Life…So, Why Haven’t You Accepted His Invitation Yet?!

Imagine having a dire emergency. You call 911, they answer and you simply hold the phone and say nothing…exactly how are you supposed to get help? How do they know what you need? How can they guess what’s wrong? You have to talk to them, you have to share information with them. And God is waiting for you to “CALL TO ME…” as He said in Jeremiah, or “COME TO ME…” as He says in Matthew. Yet, you haven’t opened your mouth or moved your feet! Exactly what are you waiting for? Your help is within reach, but you have to take time away from everything else that’s pulling on you and reach for it!

James 4:8, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you…” (ESV). The term “draw near” is defined as, “to move towards; to approach; contact; meet; or progress” Which means the ball is in your court! You have to move towards, approach, contact, meet and progress towards God FIRST…THEN…His response to your request is to do the same to you! But you have the responsibility, opportunity and privilege of drawing near to Him FIRST! So why are you still drawing near to everything and everyone else…But God?! The Message Bible reads it like this: “So let God work His will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and He’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.” (James 4:7-10 MSG)

It’s possible that God’s been trying to say some very important things to you, things that would bring sense to your swirling world, but you can’t hear Him because you’re running so fast, in so many directions, with so many people, to so many places, to do far too much! Whatever the reason for your non-stop pace, I know there has to be someone listening right now to whom God is saying, “It’s time to take a break…it’s time to hit ‘pause.’ It’s time for Time Off, Time Out and Time Away!” Don’t ignore His call to “be still and know that He is God.”

Because truth is, if we don’t choose to slow down, He will as the 23rd Psalm says, “…MAKE us lie down in green pastures…” (NIV) Another translation says, “You have BEDDED me down in lush meadows…” (MSG). One of the definitions of “Bedded” is defined as “to lay flat” And that’s exactly what God will do, lay you out flat on your back if you’re not careful to get proper rest of your own accord! Now, I know we’ve all read Psalm 23 and we’ve been tremendously encouraged over the years. But by no means ignore what the Scripture says, “He MAKES me lie down…” And that word “make” has many definitions, but the one to highlight is, “to force”. And truth is, many times the only way I took my Time Off, Time Out and Time Away was by force! It wasn’t until I was in the hospital that I received the much needed rest I should’ve been getting all along. And I had to learn how to even force myself to take better care of myself! I didn’t want God to ‘MAKE me lie down flat by force’ anymore. So I had to start taking a hard look at all the things I was involved in and see where I needed to make some better arrangements and adjustments for my life.

As hard as it is to believe, I’ve always been a hard-headed kid, and I’m still a hard-headed adult, who had to learn the hard lesson that God has many creative ways to get you to slow down if you don’t choose to slow down on your own – health, finances, crises, work, family problems etc… Truthfully, all of these things have slowed us down at some point in our lives. But just as we do whatever it takes to protect our property from damage, God does the same with His property which is why the Bible says, “…didn’t you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don’t you see that you can’t live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:16-20 MSG)

Yes, ma’am, yes, sir, YOU belong to God…YOU are God’s property…YOU are God’s investment! Therefore, He’s taking good care of you, whether you like it or not! He paid a High Price for YOU, why do you think He protects you the way He does?! Listen: We have security systems protecting our homes, because we live there and want our loved ones to be safe there. Likewise, God lives in YOU, YOU are His home, His property, and He wants to keep what belongs to Him…which is YOU…safe! So, let Him!

God asks us to PAUSE, or ultimately makes us PAUSE, not to punish us, but to refit us. He’s wanting to slow you down for work that needs to be done, for refueling that you desperately need, for retooling, or for redirecting you back into the center of His will. And He’s actually wired us to do what His Son did at the beginning of His unbelievably busy days here on earth – to spend quiet time with Him. To hit ‘PAUSE’ each new day so we can hear our Master’s voice before we hear any other, appreciate our Master’s resources, experience our Master’s healing touch, and receive our Master’s orders for the day.

Which is why it’s so vital that you take, Time Off, Time Out and Time Away, which means:

1…TIME OFF – Is defined as ‘time for rest or recreation away from one’s usual work or studies.’ This is two-fold, you need to take time off to Rest and time to Recreate! I’ve always been amazed at how the body heals itself, especially through rest. Blood pressure regulates, your heartbeat calms, your breathing is stable, you’re less stressed. Your bones aren’t aching, popping, snapping and locking, because they are receiving the reprieve they so desperately need, especially from us women who like to wear high heels day in and day out. Your rest includes, ignoring your phone, text, emails, social media, and the like. It’s reconnecting with peace, serenity, tranquility. It’s watching your favorite shows, listening to your favorite music, sitting in your favorite chair. It’s avoiding at all cost what’s going on at work, at church, at school, or anywhere else. It’s sitting still, going to bed early, not to mention getting more than 3 hours of sleep! But it’s also about recreation! And no this is not a sin! So, once this social distancing (coronavirus/Covid-19) is over, go to the movies, go to the mall, take a dancing class, a pottery class, a painting class. Go to the museum, visit a garden, take up a fun sport. Change your hair color, change your wardrobe. Enjoy your life! Recreation allows you to Re-Create! You see, when your mind gets the break it’s over-due for, fresh juices get to flowing and ideas, passions, dreams and visions that you would have never imagined begin to formulate. Don’t take this time for granted! Rest and Recreate! 1 Kings 19:3-9, “When Elijah saw how things were, he ran for dear life to Beersheba far in the south of Judah. He left his young servant there and then went on into the desert another day’s journey. He came to a lone broom bush and collapsed in its shade, wanting in the worst way to be done with it all – to just die: “Enough of this, God! Take my life – I’m ready to join my ancestors in the grave!” Exhausted, he fell asleep under the lone broom bush. Suddenly an angel shook him awake and said, “Get up and eat!” He looked around and, to his surprise, right by his head were a loaf of bread baked on some coals and a jug of water. He ate the meal and went back to the sleep. The angel of God came back, shook him awake again, and said, “Get up and eat some more – you’ve got a long journey ahead of you.” He got up, ate and drank his fill, and set out. Nourished by that meal, he walked forty days and nights, all the way to the mountain of God, to Horeb…” (MSG) – There are times when you simply need to take a break, press pause, rest, relax, recreate, and recover! Elijah went for forty days and nights…AFTER…he ate and went to sleep…not once but twice! Try It…You Just May Like It…and Need It! And by all means, NEVER make any excuses or apologies for you it!

2…TIME OUT – This is often viewed in a negative way as how some children are disciplined. Well, as children of God, this is a great way to help ourselves! Time out is supposed to give children time to reflect on what they did wrong and to understand the need for discipline for it. Like it or not, some stuff in our lives that should not be will remain if we leave it unchecked. Therefore, do yourself a favor and take some time to give yourself a Time Out! Ask God to show you the areas, activities and addictions that may need addressing. Take this time to acknowledge any wrongs and to atone and make amends where needed. Take this time to self-exam your behavior, attitude, actions, thoughts, imagination, sins. Take this time to ask the Holy Spirit to shine a search-light on your soul and expose to you any areas of darkness that need to be discovered and delivered and brought to light. Have you been filled more with the works of your flesh or the fruit of His Spirit? What has been your true motives and intentions? Why did you say that? Do that? Go there? What have you picked back up that was laid down at the altar? What people, places and things do you need to cut out of your life? Who have you been talking to? Talking about? Who have you been texting? What have you been texting? Was that picture appropriate? Are your clothes appropriate? Have you been gossiping, fault-finding, been pessimistic, negative, critical, malicious, jealous, envious, coveting, prideful, arrogant, selfish, conceited, lustful, angry, bitter, resentful, unforgiving, or unloving? What do you need Time Out to reflect on in your life that needs changing? Psalm 32:3-5, “When I kept it all inside, my bones turned to powder, my words became daylong groans. The pressure never let up; all the juices of my life dried up. Then I let it all out; I said, “I’ll make a clean breast of my failures to God.” Suddenly the pressure was gone – my guilt dissolved, my sin disappeared.” (MSG) – Apart of rest and recovery is acknowledgement of wrong. If you want peace, rid yourself of the things that prick your conscious because you know it’s wrong. Rid yourself of those things that give you nightmares; that have you trying to come up with lie number 14 to cover lie number 8 that was to fix lie number 3! Rid yourself of those things that you enjoy in private but would be embarrassed to have exposed in public. Apart of becoming a better you, is addressing the worst parts of you…and doing that honestly. Therefore, put yourself in Time Out…before Your Father does.

3…TIME AWAY – I’m definitely one of those people who are guilty of taking Time Off, but not necessarily Time Away! I can take 3 days in a row off from work, however, I’m still checking and responding to emails, voicemails, signing papers, proofing papers etc…so even though I’m not in the office, I’m not technically out of it either! Which means there’s not a real disconnect! The word “disconnect” is defined as “to break the connection of or between”. In other words, there needs to be a clear break in connection where nothing and no one can get through! Now, for some, this is hard to do, but for most, it can be done, we simply don’t do it! The same can also be said for social media. We’ll go away on vacation with loved ones, but every 5 minutes we’re posting about enjoying the vacation we’re not enjoying because we’re too busying posting about enjoying it! When you take Time Away, learn to disconnect altogether! If you’re at the movies, out to dinner, or on vacation, be there and don’t take social media with you! The word ‘away’ is defined as ‘at a distance from a particular, place, person or thing.’ And that’s what you need to do, create distance when you disconnect! One of my bad habits is bringing my cellphone to the dinner table! I’ve since learned how disrespectful, inappropriate and distracting such a bad habit can be. Since then, I’ve learned to plug up my phone away from me and turn off the ringer, and even turn it face down so I won’t even notice the little blue light or the screen displaying a phone call, attempting to catch my attention. I’ve learned to engage in meaningful conversation at the dinner table. It took me a little while, but I’m learning and I hope you’ll learn likewise. Luke 5:16 reads, “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” (NIV). Two words to take note of are: “OFTEN” defined as “frequently; in many instances; repetitively; commonly; normally; and usually”. And secondly the word, “WITHDRAW” defined as “to remove or take away; discontinue or retract; to leave or cause to leave a place; to cease to participate in an activity or be a member of a team or organization; depart to another place in search of quiet or privacy.” In a nutshell: Even JESUS, OFTEN, frequently, in many instances, repetitively, commonly, normally and usually…WITHDREW…removed Himself away, discontinued contact, left places, ceased participating in activities, and departed for quiet and privacy! So who are you to do any less?!

Don’t allow situations, circumstances, or people (including you) to make you think everything is an emergency and you are the only emergency personnel at work! You need a break too, so learn how to take it! Your very life, health and well-being may depend on it!

PREPARE YOURSELF TODAY TO EMBRACE TAKING SOME TIME OFF, TIME OUT AND TIME AWAY! You Need It and You’re Worth It!

Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged #ShareTheWord

Feel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “18 Places Where You Can Still Buy Face Masks”

Feel free to join us at: http://www.chefshermainesbiblecafe.home.blog Today’s Chef Special Word “WASH/BATHED”

LETS STAY CONNECTED!

Daily Dose With Dr. Shermaine: https://dailydosewithdrshermaine.wordpress.com

Facebook:  DrShermaine Franklin-Sanders
Instagram: dr_sys
LinkedIn:  Linkedin.com/in/dr-shermaine-y-franklin-sanders910019142/
Twitter: Dr_Shermaine
Pinterest: drsys321
Google: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+DrShermaineYFranklinSanders