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My son is gradually cleaning the moss and weeds on the asphalt in the church parking lot. He’s using a power-washer to blast the curbs and ground where the moss has grown. It takes a lot of work. It’s a wet, messy task.

Weeds and moss grow everywhere. Unchecked, they cling to the asphalt and make the ground look dirty.

The Bible tells us to learn a lesson from the growth of unwanted weeds. Proverbs 24:30-34 say:

I went past the field of a sluggard, past the vineyard of someone who has no sense; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.

We each need to rest. It’s good to rest. But when rest turns into laziness or feeds procrastination, tasks pile up and responsibilities become overwhelming. The result? Our effectiveness diminishes, our stress increases, and our joy weakens. It can be difficult and demanding to recover.

Finding a balance between work and rest is vital. Each of us approaches this differently, but we know the importance of setting goals, prioritizing tasks, and meeting deadlines. They may range from cleaning the kitchen counter to putting gas in the car to “going the extra mile” to assist a colleague at work to meeting family to sustaining daily devotions to sharing Christ with a friend. When we bring order to our daily routines and complete necessary tasks, rest becomes much more meaningful. We can end each day saying to Jesus, “Thank you for all you have done in me and through me today. I praise you for your strength and grace.”

There is no greater joy than serving Jesus, even in the mundane, routine, even demanding tasks of each day. May you go about your responsibilities today knowing God is with you and he gives you his grace and strength. And may the weeds not overtake you.

視頻大意翻譯 (video Chinese translation):

我兒子正在清理教會停車場上的苔蘚和雜草。他用電動清洗機清洗長滿苔蘚的路邊和地面。這需要很大的工作量。是一項又濕又髒的工作。

雜草和苔蘚到處長。如果不加以控制，它們會長在瀝青上，使地面看起來很髒。

聖經告訴我們要從不需要的雜草生長中吸取教訓。箴言 24：30-34 說：

我經過懶惰人的田地、無知人的葡萄園．荊棘長滿了地皮、刺草遮蓋了田面、石牆也坍塌了．我看見就留心思想、我看着就領了訓誨。再睡片時、打盹片時、抱着手躺臥片時、你的貧窮、就必如強盜速來、你的缺乏、彷彿拿兵器的人來到。

我們每個人都需要休息。休息是好的。但是，當休息變成懶惰或養成了拖延，工作堆積起來，責任就會變得不堪重負。結果呢？我們的效率降低，壓力增加，快樂減弱。要想恢復，可能既困難又費力。

在工作和休息間找到平衡是很重要的。我相信，每個人的處理方式都不同，但我們都知道設定目標、確定優先順序和按時完成任務的重要性。這些挑戰可能從清潔廚房櫃檯到給車加油，到“多走一哩路”幫助同事工作，與家人見面，維持每日靈修，再到與朋友分享基督。我相信大多數人都知道，當我們把日常生活理得井井有條並完成必要的任務時，休息就會變得更有意義。我們可以在每天結束時對耶穌說：“感謝你今天透過我所做的一切。我讚美你的力量和恩典。”

沒有比服事耶穌更喜樂的了，即使是在每天平凡、例行公事、甚或艱巨的任務中。願今天在你履行你的責任時，知道上帝與你同在，他賜你恩典和力量。願雜草不追上你。

讓我們禱告。

Grace and peace

Pastor Callum