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From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

 

Dear Rev. Graham: My father was a taskmaster – a good man, a hardworking man – but he literally worked himself to death. Growing up, it didn’t matter how hard I worked; to my father it was never enough. While we live in a society where the work ethic is not as important to the younger generations, is it the best example to work all the time with no break? – W.E.

 

Dear W.E.: Becoming physically rundown and in a state of nervous exhaustion is not only bad for a person’s health, it also suggests that a person is not making time for the Lord. He tells us to cast our burdens on Him. He tells us that He will carry our load. He tells us to not fret but to rest in Him (see Psalm 37:7).

That may seem easier to say than to do, but this is a command from our Lord. Also remember that Christians have a duty to keep themselves as fit as possible, spiritually and physically. We cannot be the best for God when we drive ourselves to the point of dropping with fatigue, then snapping.

When the apostles returned from their first preaching tour, Jesus told them to rest a while (see Mark 6:31). He recognized that they had bodies as well as souls. He knew their need of rest if they were to be of further service to Him. The deeper lesson for them was to understand their need to spend time in communion with Him each day. We mustn’t miss this vital truth. We should strive to please the Lord, not man. Power from the Lord comes from reading His Word and communing with Him. Nothing so restores mental equilibrium as regular, daily prayer.

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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)