Where is your quiet place?
A few years ago I shared with you the comments of a pastor who told me, “Some days I would like to just look out the window of my office and commune with God, but I’m afraid that someone will come in and think I’m just goofing off.”
Working with pastors on a daily basis as I do, you can guess my response, “You have my permission to goof off with God anytime, and you should goof off with him more often.”
Evidently this pastor’s only quiet place was his office. Maybe that was part of the problem. He should have sought out a more private quiet place.
In our fast-paced society and because of the nature of your call to be a pastor, I’m sure you often find that like Jesus so many people are coming and going that you don’t even have a chance to eat. The problem I see is that many of you don’t follow Jesus’ example and go to a quiet place to get some rest.
Some pastors in the Denver metro area spend a day at Sacred Heart, a local Catholic facility just outside of town, for self-guided retreats. We have plans to provide such retreats when we secure our new retreat home.
For many pastors, Quiet Waters has been their quiet place as they attended one of our Leadership Counseling Intensives.
Again I ask you, “where is your quiet place?” The answer may be that you don’t have a quiet place. Or maybe you know where your quiet place is, but you just haven’t had time to go there.
When you look around your community, I’m certain that you can find many quiet places. Pick one and call it your own.
I found a little chapel on the grounds of Downing House that is just perfect. The problem is I seldom go to that little chapel.
However, recently I had the opportunity to sit by a fireplace in a mountain cabin on a rainy day and read John Grisham’s The Pelican Brief. Talk about rest. Yes, and I’m sure that God enjoyed the time too. It’s not always about praying and Bible reading-even though those should be important activities in your rest.
After you find that quiet place, go there and spend some quality time with God and rest in His arms. Listen to Jesus when He says, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
