For those of you who haven’t heard the term fallow, to fallow simply means to be inactive or not in use. My grandfather was a farmer, so I grew up with a working knowledge of what fallow ground meant.
Grandpa George and his wife Barbara had nine children—my father was one of those nine. The sweet corn my grandpa grew tasted like candy and every fall we would drive down to pick our own ears directly from the stalk. No butter or salt required. I would eat a piece down so quickly that I had cooked kernels gracing my cheeks, chin, and lips while awkwardly stuck between each tooth!
I can remember going to Grandpa’s house as a child feeling as if I had just stepped into an intoxicating, imaginary world. I would search the immense red barn from top to bottom, walking stealthily through the farming equipment trying to locate each and every barn kitten.
I would visit my grandfather’s antique market in the small house he purchased adjacent to his property. Amidst all the fond memories, however, the stories I heard most from my dad encompassed how much work it took to run a farm. Waking up at the crack of dawn and beginning chores that took up most of the day.
With this in mind, when God commanded for the ground to lie fallow for a year I can imagine what a transition it would be for the children of Israel.
Now before you say to yourself, “Wow, this is great—I can’t wait to enter into a season of rest,” let me tell you that embracing the concept of rest is much easier said than done. In a world where there is constantly more to do, rest can seem like a forgotten art form.
We are taught from an early age that the more we accomplish, the greater worth we have in the eyes of others. Late hours, sleepless nights, and waking up at the break of dawn become a part of our daily rhythms.
Great leaders do more, right? You need to hustle to become something of significance in life.
Those who do more get applauded more, praised more, and actually seem to attain more.
Slogans like “I live at work and visit the house sometimes” are comical because they can be brutally true. And while all these slogans can motivate us in the short term, God’s concept of working and resting will take us further in the long distance run called life.
The truth is that working hard, all-in, is an exquisite quality to possess. But resting is an essential quality, too. Resting takes courage. It takes commitment. It takes a dedication to hit pause on life and truly mean it. It works something deep in your soul that no amount of achievement can.
"Resting means trust. It’s making a choice to say to God, 'I could do more, but I choose to trust You instead. My life is in Your hands.' During your times or seasons of rest, you are completely dependent on God. No longer is it about what you can do or accomplish. It’s about what only God can do. It takes the weight off your shoulders and puts it back on the shoulders of the only One who is meant to be your provider: Jesus."
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Photo Credit: Gabe Garza, pexels.com | Design: Milan Klusacek, milanklusacek.com
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