Come aside
And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” (Mark 6:31).
At the beginning of Mark 6 the Lord sent out His twelve disciples two by two on a preaching and healing mission. Later in the chapter (v. 30), they return and tell the Lord what they have done. It is then the Lord says to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” In this verse, the Lord describes His concern that we build into our lives times of reflection and rest, through which we are re-energised to continue to serve Him more effectively.
The Lord sent His disciples out in twos. In the service of God, fellowship is vital. We should complement each other as we serve and use our abilities and gifts in harmony. Natural abilities include, amongst other things, leadership qualities, strength, problem solving, and friendliness. These abilities need to be sanctified and brought under the Lordship of Christ. In this way, natural skills can be used spiritually. We also have spiritual gifts which are given to us to fulfil our place in the body of Christ. Both need to be used selflessly to glorify God in reaching out with the Gospel and building up the people of God. The other benefit of serving together is that we share the workload. This requires grace and humility. Sometimes in the service of God, we can jealously guard what we consider to be our service and be unwilling to include others. On the other hand, we may feel overburdened and would love to have others help, but support is not forthcoming.
The Lord teaches us that it is necessary for spiritual service that we pause to consider the work we are involved in and reflect on what we have done and seek His guidance and blessing. Today the word “furlough” is in everyday use. It means “leave of absence”. It is a word which I first heard as a young Christian to describe the times when missionaries returned to their own countries for a period. Universities have “sabbaticals”, when every seven years a lecturer is given a year to pursue other studies, or write, or travel. The term comes from Leviticus 25, when God ensured the land had to rest. We still refer to “fallow land”, where land is not farmed but rested and then reused. God Himself rested after His work of creation. Reflection and rest are not unproductive, but essential to healthy spiritual growth and fruitful service.
If we do not build in this principle of spiritual reflection and rest leading to rejuvenation, we suffer. Our service can become sterile, and we can find ourselves driven by duty; not love. If our days are filled with a frenzy of activity, we will burn out, the burden we carry will become too great for us, and we may experience a breakdown. There is a vital connection in Psalm 23 between verse 1 and verses 2 and 3. David did not lack anything, because the Lord taught Him to lie down and drink beside still waters. This was the basis of being re-energised, restored and of being led in paths of righteousness. He had to learn to be still to know how to be active. May we listen to the Lord’s invitation and make time to “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” And to discover, in a daily experience of the peace of His presence, our burdens lifted, vision refocussed, and our spirits refreshed and restored, so that we can better serve the Saviour in happy fellowship.
