Reset Part 2

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Intro:

We started a new series last week talking about how sometimes in life we just need to reset.

We need to stop what we are doing, evaluate what we are doing, and move forward with the most important things

Last week specifically we talked about how in Christ, we are made new creations. That a newness comes and the old is gone

And how often we are good with the first part

We will take all the newness that Christ has for us but we struggle with the 2nd part

It’s the getting rid of the old

And this idea of creating space or what we are calling margin in our lives is a vital gospel idea

That without margin we miss out on gospel opportunities

That without margin it’s impossible to be generous

Without margin we can’t live in the pattern that God has for us

You are not created to go full speed all the time

Just like a race car needs pit stops, so do you.

You can’t fix anything going full speed

you can’t refuel going full speed

We have to, at times, slow down and in order to do that we have to create margin in our lives

So today I want to talk more about this. How do we create space or margin in our life?

How do we slow down?

We need to realize some truths.

pray

You have limitations

Psalm 119:96 NIV

96 To all perfection I see a limit, but your commands are boundless.

Job 14:5 NIV

5 A person’s days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed.

This week has been just one of those weeks for me.

It’s funny how I begin to talk about a certain topic and God says here why don’t you put your money where your mouth is

But it’s been one of those weeks where I just really haven’t had many breaks, many moments to just catch my breath. I’ve had mornings this week where I’ve gone from 4:30 in the morning to 11 at night.

I’ve had meetings and appointments all week, my truck has been in the shop, and my days have just been packed.

I’m not complaining because I love it but it’s just been my reality this week

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday in particular were just crazy

And so Thursday night I just crashed. I had 3 nights in a row where i was getting 4-6 hours of sleep and my mind and body just couldn’t take it

And i began to see the effects it was having. I had hardly any energy. I was a lot less patient with my kids. I didn’t spend nearly the time I normally do with the Lord.

And it’s funny because normally the things that are effected the most are the most important things

And you want to know why? Because I am not God.

Let me let you in on a little secret… you are not God!

Scripture tells us that we have limitations

And far too often we get ourselves in bad situations because we do not see our own limitations

This may seem elementary to some but there are some of us living our lives right now as if we are invincible and there’s nothing that can touch us.

And our culture feeds us this lie that there’s nothing you can’t do, that you can be anything that you want.

And it’s just not true.

Let me warn you again, you are not God, and sooner or later something will happen that’s going to stop you dead in your tracks

And usually, the longer you run on E the worse it is.

But here is what we have to realize, the one who has no limitations is the one who gave us ours.

And He’s done it for our own good.

Limitations aren’t a bad thing, in fact, they are a good and Godly thing

So acting and living like you have none is actually anti-biblical

So step one, realize that you have limitations

You have motivations

And what motivates you will determine what you do

And I’m not talking about simple motivations here

I want to live so I have to eat so I need to work so I work

Some of us in this room have never felt like we are enough or that we measure up and so we work our tails off to prove that we are

Some of us don’t know who we are and so we spend all of our time doing x,y, and z because that’s where we find our identity

There’s hundreds of motivations but are they the right ones?

Ecclesiastes 4:8 NIV

8 There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. “For whom am I toiling,” he asked, “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?” This too is meaningless— a miserable business!

We are going to talk about this more later but, You have to ask yourself, what motivates you?

And I think a lot of us have some really good answers to this but it’s just not the truth

I work hard for my family and yet your family hardly sees you. Your presence is much more valuable than your paycheck

Take the time this week to really think about, what motivates you to spend your time, energy, and resources on the things you spend them on?

Are those things Godly pursuits or wordly?

You have setbacks

We have plans and we have goals and we have expectations it’s just that it hardly ever goes according to plan.

We have setbacks but we haven’t placed margin in our lives for the setbacks

And we act as if every time is going to be different than the time before but

And setbacks, when not prepared for, cause more pressure which leaves even smaller room for margin and we get on this vicious merry go round and end up wondering why we are dizzy

John 16:33 NIV

33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Things will go wrong.

Do we have margin in our lives to prepare for the setbacks because they are coming

You have a journey

Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,

Scripture likens our lives to a race. The problem is we are taught that we must do everything as quickly as we possibly can

I was doing a crossfit workout one time and I have this issue where I like to do them as fast as I can and win but I’m also out of shape and older than a lot of these guys im up against. And so I came out of the gates firing and I was feeling good and I was way ahead until about minute 4 or 5 and then all of a sudden he caught me and then about minute 10 the next thing I know he was way ahead of me. Then about minute 15 he was done and I still had a lot to do.

We live our lives as if we have to cram in as much as we can in as little time as possible

Our journey with the Lord is a marathon and Paul encourages us to run this race as the one who gets the ultimate prize.

To do this, we have to look ahead. We have to plan.

And to plan we have to slow down.

The faster you go the more margin you’ll need

Proverbs 22:3 NIV

3 The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.

Psalm 127:2 NIV

2 In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves.

Ecclesiastes 10:15 NIV

15 The toil of fools wearies them; they do not know the way to town.

Your life is a journey, slow down enough to think about what you want that journey to look like

You have to cut back

Almost every year after Christmas since we’ve had kids we have to go into their playroom and get rid of stuff

You know, all the stuff that we just bought for them last Christmas, now goes in the trash to make room for all the stuff we got them this Christmas. Christmas is great! yay!

Every year! We know it’s coming. And really the reason we do this is because when the playroom is organized and open the girls are much more likely to go in there and play. When it’s cluttered and messy they don’t

So for our own sanities sake we get rid of stuff

The same is true for your life. We are constantly adding new stuff to our plates and agendas but we have a really hard time cutting back and saying no.

With all of these other truths in mind we need to look at our schedules regularly and cut back

Ecclesiastes 3:6 (NIV)

6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,

Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,

1 Corinthians 6:12 NIV

12 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything.

What are the things that are not beneficial in my life that are causing me to know and become more like Jesus? We have to cut back

Joshua 7:13 NIV

13 “Go, consecrate the people. Tell them, ‘Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow; for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There are devoted things among you, Israel. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove them.

There are things in our lives that we’ve held on to for so long. We are devoted to them. And these things have become idols and these idols have gotten in the way with what God has for us.

You have to come to Jesus

Matthew 11:28–30 NIV

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

There’s a rat race out there and the truth is there are a lot of good steps, a lot of good books, a lot of good plans but at the end of the day only Jesus will provide the rest you truly need

You will strive and strive and strive until you can strive no longer and you still won’t be satisfied

You’ll be weary and burdened. You’ll feel the pressure of this world.

Your mind will wonder, your heart will harden, your soul will search

And the only thing that will satisfy it all for you is Jesus

He’s the only One who can give you true, meaningful rest

We are going to talk more about this next week but know that we can fill our lives our schedules our activities our banks with everything this world has to offer and you’ll find yourself in the same boat as everyone else.

Our only answer to filling this gnawing void inside of us is Jesus

so Let’s find rest in Him