We've all experienced that wonderful peace that comes when we pray or read the Bible. Oh if only we could enjoy this every moment of every day! But alas, we must return to school or to work—back to the grind—and before we know it the peace is suffocated by the unending pressures of life. Is this not our daily experience?
The Lord, however, has called us to live a life free from anxiety. Recall how He said, "Come to Me all who toil and are burdened and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28). Is this an empty promise? Is this really possible?
Watchman Nee uses the verses below from Luke to address this experience. What he reveals is of utmost importance to every Christian who desires to live a productive life.
The Lord, however, has called us to live a life free from anxiety. Recall how He said, "Come to Me all who toil and are burdened and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28). Is this an empty promise? Is this really possible?
Watchman Nee uses the verses below from Luke to address this experience. What he reveals is of utmost importance to every Christian who desires to live a productive life.
"Now as they went, He entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received Him into her home. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at the Lord's feet and was listening to His word. But Martha was being drawn about with much serving, and she came up to Him and said, Lord, does it not matter to You that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to do her part with me. But the Lord answered and said to her, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; But there is need of one thing, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her."
–Luke 10:38-42
–Luke 10:38-42
Being pressed by this business, [Martha] became disturbed, grew worried and even annoyed. She was like anybody else, in that when something was wrong within her she began to blame others.
–p. 130
Frequently while we are working we have no rest in us, as though we have forgotten the Lord. We are so busy from morning till night that we have not really prayed and studied God's word.... Many affairs tend to make us forgetful of the Lord.
Rest in the Lord, which, if done, ends up in our being satisfied with the Lord.
–p. 131
He has not said that we should not work, nor has He said that we should work but half a day and spend the other half in spiritual things. He has not reprimanded Martha, saying that it is wrong for her to do many things. What the Lord reminds her of is, that she should not allow herself to be anxious or troubled over many things.
The Lord does not charge us not to do things: He only enjoins us not to be anxious and troubled while we do them. He does not say we have done too much; He merely says that we ought not to be anxious and troubled.
What is of vital importance is for us to be calm inwardly.
–p. 132
The Lord requires but one thing of us, which is, that in the midst of whatever circumstance, we are not to be touched by it.
Outwardly we may be Martha but inwardly we must learn to be Mary in having perfect union with the Lord.
–p. 133
On the outside you may be in touch with thousands of people, but you yourself can still be the calmest and the most unperturbed of persons; busy outwardly, yet not a ripple of disturbance in the spirit; externally engrossed in works, yet internally deep in fellowship with the Lord. This is how to have rest in the spirit.
–p. 135-136
We Christians should be living in incessant prayer.... We should indeed have a fixed time for prayer and for Bible reading; but besides these fixed times, our inner life should continually be in fellowship with the Lord.
Let us remember that the strength for our walk depends entirely upon the communion maintained between our innermost life and God. The innermost place is not at all governed or influenced by the outside. Being inwardly calm, we are then able to control all the things outwardly.
–p. 136
Too often we have a failure in our lives, which is, that our inside becomes disturbed as we are busy outside. Frequently, before there is much toiling outwardly, we are already troubled inwardly. Due to inner agitation, we have no power to cope with outer things. We out to know that the strength of our life lies in rest and in quietness. The word of God says: "In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength" [Isaiah 30:15].
–p. 137
–Quotes taken from "Rest is Power" by Watchman Nee, Practical Issues of This Life.