By Brenda Jank
(This is Part 1 of a 2-Part Series)
“Retreat!”
It’s a battle cry of the beloved.
It’s strategic.
It is revolutionary.
My first personal retreat was the open gate that welcomed my heart back home to rest.
As a deeply ingrained workaholic, the power of personal retreat was eye opening and heart softening. Regular getaways with God have drastically and beautifully altered the course of my life. Retreat takes the best of all 4 biblical rhythms of rest (Sabbath, Stillness, Solitude and Sleep) and wraps them up in a few quiet hours off the beaten path.
But we resist.
We don’t have time.
Satan pulls out every lie, trick and detour. He is desperate to keep us from such treasure. M. Bounds reminds us:
“A holy life does not live in the closet, but it cannot live without it.”
Yet, a commitment to personal retreat does not dwell in the recesses of our hearts or minds. We assign it to a place of insignificance. We see it as an activity for the spiritually elite, the recluse or those with too much time on their hands. We are unaware of its profound power to refuel and refresh those on the front lines.
Truth be told, “retreat” is a battle-cry for those longing to see the Kingdom of God advance, bringing light and hope to dark places and lonely hearts.
Would you like to know how to effectively retreat in your own life? Come back next week to learn more!
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Note: This post is Post #20 of our original series on rest and restoration. We are reposting some of our favorite articles because we believe they’re just as important today as ever. We hope you’re challenged to think of rest in a fresh, new way and will invite others to join in.
Brenda Jank and the Run Hard. Rest Well. team are thought leaders in the arena of Restorative Wellness. Find additional resources at www.RunHardRestWell.org. Contact us at: Brenda@runhardrestwell.org
Yessss. I’ve been doing regular personal retreats every month this year and it’s been a game changer. I’m still not perfect at keeping a regular sabbath, but I’m so much better than I ever used to be – especially as a reformed-workaholic myself! x
Patrice!
You are making me smile.
Thanking God for what He is up to.
This is my story!
Personal retreat opened the door to rest and renewal at a whole new caliber for me.
As I tasted it on retreat – I knew what it felt like – and it opened the door to the gentle joys and impact of Sabbath.
You go, girlfriend.
Jesus goes before you, beside you, and is alive and speaking love within you.
Onward.
Eyes on Jesus!
Brenda …………………….. How did you learn of Run Hard. Rest Well.?