RELAXATION
Definitions: Relaxation is rest or enjoyment away from one’s usual duties. It is also refreshment of body or mind by getting rid of or away from tension and stress. Freetime is personal time which is not otherwise scheduled for specific work activities or duties.
1. After creating the universe, God rested from His labour. He commands us to do likewise.
Genesis 2:2,3 And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. 3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.
Exodus 20:9,11 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Exodus 23:12 Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.
1 Kings 8:56a Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest unto His people.
Hebrews 4:4,9,10 For He spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all His works… 9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10 For he that is entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His.
2. Physical renewal is one of the basic requirements for human happiness and good health.
Psalm 103:2,5 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:… 5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s. [See also Job 33:25]
Psalm 127:2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so He giveth His beloved sleep.
Isaiah 28:12a To whom He said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing.
Isaiah 30:15a For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.
3. God intends for life to be enjoyable, and relaxation and leisure time help make it so.
Psalm 16:11b In Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Psalm 30:5b In His favour is life.
Psalm 36:7,8 How excellent is Thy lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings. 8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures.
Proverbs 10:22 The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it.
Ecclesiastes 3:13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.
Mark 2:27 And He said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath.
1 Timothy 6:17b God…giveth us richly all things to enjoy.
4. Jesus and His disciples took time to relax away from the pressures and demands of their public ministry.
Matthew 14:23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, He was there alone.
Matthew 15:29 And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there.
Matthew 17:1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, andJohn his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart.
Mark 6:31,32 And He said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. 32 And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.
Luke 9:10a And the apostles, when they were returned, told Him all that they had done. And He took them, and went aside privately into a desert place.
5. If we don’t take time to renew our bodies and spirits, we’ll run out of physical and spiritual strength.
Psalm 103:4a,5 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction… 5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Isaiah 40:30,31 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Luke 10:38-42 Now it came to pass, as they went, that He entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard His Word. 40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to Him, and said, Lord, dost Thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me. 41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: 42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
Matthew 26:41b The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
2 Corinthians 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
6. Freetime activities should be edifying and strengthening, not time wasters.
Romans 14:19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.
1 Corinthians 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 14:26b Let all things be done unto edifying.
Ephesians 3:16 That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man.
7. Word and rest time is for communing with the Lord.
Exodus 33:14 And He said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest
Psalm 23:1-3a The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. 3a He restoreth my soul.
Psalm 116:7 Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee.
Song of Solomon 1:7a Tell me, O Thou whom my soul loveth, where Thou feedest, where Thou makest thy flock to rest at noon.
Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest 29 Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.
[See also Ezekiel 34:14,15]
8. What could be more refreshing or re-strengthening than the Word?
John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the Words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Job 23:12 Neither have I gone back from the commandment of His lips; I have esteemed the Words of His mouth more than my necessary food. [See also Psalm 119:111]
Psalm 119:103 How sweet are Thy Words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Jeremiah 15:16a Thy Words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy Word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart.
Colossians 1:9b,11a Be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding… 11a Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power.
Acts 20:32 And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the Word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.
9. At times, the Lord may ask us to sacrifice our freetime for the sake of His Work or others.
Jeremiah 45:1-5 [During the time of Israel’s judgement, although the Lord promised to spare Baruch’s life, as he’d been faithful as Jeremiah’s scribe, yet he had no rest in the land which God was preparing to destroy:] The word that Jeremiah the prophet spake unto Baruch… 3 Thou [Baruch] didst say, Woe is me now!… I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest 4b… The Lord saith thus; Behold, …that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land… 5b… behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the Lord: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest
Mark 6:31b There were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.
Mark 7:24 [During His busy travels, Jesus tried to find rest, but sometimes couldn’t:] And from thence He arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but He could not be hid. [See also Mark 3:7; Luke 9:10,11]
John 9:4 I must work the works of Him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
2 Corinthians 7:5a For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side.
…
