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You Need A Time-Out!

"But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed."  Luke 5:16

I don't know what your preferred choice of discipline is (or was) to use with your children whenever they disobey.  I've seen parents today use everything from yelling to taking toys away to the ever controversial spanking!  Perhaps one of the most popular forms of discipline today is putting the child in time-out.

If you're of a more seasoned age (smile), you might have used the original form of time-outs and not even realized it.  Did you ever say the words:

"Go stand in the corner!"?

Well, I don't know about you, but sometimes I wish somebody would put me in time-out!  Not because I've been naughty or disobedient, but because I just need a break from the world.  Some days I feel that if I don't get about five minutes of peace and quiet that I might possibly spontaneously combust!

The truth is, we should all be taking a time-out everyday.

Between obligations at work, extra curricular activities for the kids, doctor appointments, church, and the necessary evils like grocery shopping and getting gas, it's amazing we can even find time to eat and sleep.  Maybe we should all intentionally pencil in a daily time-out amongst the other demands that consume our date books.

We're in good company, though.  The greatest man who ever lived needed to take time-outs.  Jesus very clearly shows us how the demands of our everyday life can drain us if we don't take some time to refuel with some quiet time with God.

What we have to remember is that even when we're doing noteworthy and good things, we need a time-out.  Even when our time is consumed by serving God, we need a time-out. 

In the chapter that leads up to today's focal verse, we see Jesus healing people, calling out the twelve disciples, and teaching in the synagogues.  He was doing ministry.  His time wasn't consumed with frivolous activities, yet He saw the importance in retreating away for some quiet time.

Our Scripture verse tells us that Jesus  made a habit of getting away from the world to spend some time with His Father.  He knew that He couldn't keep freely giving all of his energy to the world around Him without giving God the opportunity to fill Him back up. 

The beautiful thing about taking a time-out is that it doesn't just refresh us physically.  By doing it like Jesus did and spending that quiet time with God, our spirits will be refreshed, too.  Our relationship with God will naturally grow more intimate as we make an intentional effort to turn everything off and commune with Him -- just the two of you.

So, when was the last time you took a time-out? 

When was the last time you carved out some time in your day for an ever important meeting with your Father?

Follow Jesus' lead and steal away as often as possible to a quiet and lonely place to pray.

I give you permission . . . put yourself in time-out! 





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