I was helping out with a boys group on Wednesday nights called Royal Ambassadors. During the winter months we build pinewood derby cars and race them in February. A critical part of this process is getting the weight distribution right along with the total weight of the car. A buddy of mine and I were working in his shop one afternoon when I rediscovered this important truth: a fresh battery works better than a dead one. That may not come as a shock to you, but when you forget to put the spare on the charger everything grinds to a halt. How often do we forget to recharge our batteries for the day, week, or month ahead. How long has it been since you relaxed? When was the last vacation? How long has it been since you read a good book, played with your kids, or slept in?
The concept of re-creation has been smashed together into recreation. Trust me, there is a big difference. In our culture today we all find time for recreation. We play golf, soccer, basketball, and softball. We party on the weekends to forget the week we just had. We overspend at the mall because we “owe” it to ourselves. Our recreation is over-compensating. The idea of re-creation is that we take a day, or part of one, every week to get in touch with ourselves, our Creator, our purpose, and that which matters in life. At the end of 6 days of creation God had
- Established Balance
- Provided Definition
- Revealed Priorities
- Managed Time
- Taught Reproduction
- Made Distinctions
Now God “rested” from His creative efforts. He did not stop existing. He simply put into play a practice for us all. He later came to Moses and more firmly stated that 1 day a week was to be set aside as holy. This principle of re-creating is important because our lives have become on-demand 24/7. Technology is a beautiful thing in computers and phones. However, there is a stress that comes with being available all the time. Some of the stress comes from other people demanding our availability.
I was drilling the holes in the cars to add the weights when the drill quit cutting. I thought the bit was stuck. It wasn’t. I thought the bit was dulled. It wasn’t. The battery was out of juice. Because I did not plan ahead by charging the second battery, I had to stop. No more work could be done until such a time as the batteries were charged. That headache, or fatigue, or sickness, or depression, or marital fight might be simply related to our lives running down with no backup battery. You have to stop and recharge now and then. Most of our recreation wears us out more.
Re-Creation is unique in that it charges you mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. How do you re-create?
Intersection Online 