According to tradition, when the apostle John was overseer in Ephesus, his hobby was raising pigeons. It is said that on one occasion another elder passed his house as he returned from hunting and saw John playing with one of the birds. The man gently chided him for spending his time so frivolously. John looked at the hunter’s bow and remarked that the string was loose. “Yes” said the elder, “I always loosen the string of my bow when it’s not in use. If it stayed tight, it would lose its resilience and fail me in the hunt.” John responded, “And I am now relaxing the bow of my mind so that I may be better able to shoot the arrows of divine truth.”
We cannot do our best work with nerves taunt or frayed from being constantly under pressure. When Jesus’ disciples returned from a strenuous preaching mission, their Master recognised their need for rest and invited them to come with Him to a quiet place where they could be refreshed. Jesus invites you too.”
I find it quite difficult just to sit and do nothing but we all need a quiet time. We may think that we can keep going without loosening our “bow” but it may be detrimental to our health. If we are to function at our best, time is needed for rest.
Do you have a quiet place where you can relax and be refreshed?