Summary: There is always something more we could be doing in ministry. But your ability to rest is in direct relationship to your trust in God’s ability to further his ministry.
In Ecclesiastes 4:6 we read “One handful of rest is better than two fistfuls of labor and striving after the wind.” There is no end to the tasks our hands could find in ministry. There is always something more we think we could or even should do. Solomon’s word choice draws a stark contrast and juxtaposition in my heart: “One Handful” vs. “Two Fistfuls.”
I cherish my rest simply because I have learned the hard way. With youthful zeal, I pursued a never-ending list of good things, often to my demise. These days, I am quite content to have one handful of rest and the other hand filled with labor. Yet, so many ministry leaders injure themselves with “two fistfuls” of ministry busyness and activity.
Ministry is a long game, not a sprint. Just as the wise man stops to sharpen his ax, so a wise ministry leader knows the value of rest and Sabbath. Do you trust God? Sounds simplistic, doesn’t it? But your ability to rest is in direct relationship to your trust in God’s ability to further His ministry even while you sleep. This “Upside-Down Kingdom” understands the paradox of labor: He does more with my 6 days that I can do if I had 7 days. Can you pause and reaffirm that God cares more than you about His ministry?