YOU ARE SO SELFISH!

Have you ever heard someone say something like:

"I just need some time alone to re-charge.

I've been giving out way too much and not taking in enough."

Sabbath IS important...

Now, I don't want to minimize the need we all have to budget our time. And it is important to rest. The sabbath is for man, not man for the sabbath. I often take time on Monday or Thursday to sit in Panera and just read or write because i'm taking a morning off to have some "David Time".

BUT... (and this is a big but) (snicker)

This idea of "re-charging" gets WAY OVERBLOWN. We are not cars, we don't require a fill-up on gas every 300 miles. We are not droids who need to be plugged in to the wall every night... I think we're way off base when we begin to live as if there is a formula that we can only "give" so much before we need to "take." It seems to me that the Bible talks VERY LITTLE about taking, and an awful lot about giving.

Service is not a scarce commodity. Consider the following biblical teachings and examples:

• Jesus, when his disciples were exhausted made them feed the 5000. An interesting part of that story is that the disciples originally felt like their ability to "give" was limited to a few pieces of bread and some fish. Jesus showed them that when He is in it, their ability to give is far greater than they think.
• Remember the widow at Zaraphath? The prophet Elijah went to her (on God's instructions) and asked her to feed him. She objected, thinking she only had enough to make one final meal for her and her son. She obeyed, and as long as she kept giving, she never ran out of food!
• Jesus invested a lot into the lives of the disciples... Who invested into Jesus?
• Paul compared himself to being poured out like a drink offering. For him, it was an honor to give away his life.
• According to Philippians 1, Paul wanted to die so he could be with God. (the ultimate re-charging!) But he realized it was better to stay alive so he could give to others. He was willing to put off the thing that was good for him, so that he could do good for others.
• Jesus said we are to wash each other's feet.
• In the ultimate good act, Jesus EMPTIED himself.

What we give away is a demonstration of what we love.

If we truly love God, we will be willing to give ourselves away for the good of His Kingdom and for the benefit of those around us.

...and sometimes...

We won't get recharged. That's why it's called sacrifice.

"Greater love has no man than this, that he give his life for his friends."