Ecclesiastes 5:2

Sisters and brothers in Christ,

When I asked Ann, this morning, to suggest an appropriate Bible passage for Saturday evening, in preparation for the Sabbath rest on Sunday, she quickly proposed Ecclesiastes 5:2: “Let your words be few.”

So here goes. The context of that brief injunction is “when you go to the house of God, … let your words be few.” I’m reminded of Jesus’s introduction to the Lord’s Prayer (itself a model of brevity): “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matt. 6:7-8).

The devil would have us believe that God is impressed by many words, flurries of busyness, and constant activity, all of course in God’s service. Preachers, pastors, and other good Christians are especially vulnerable to this temptation. There is, of course, a time for action and speech, as the author of Ecclesiastes acknowledges, but there is also a time for rest and “a time to keep silence” (Ecc. 3:7).

I encourage you (and myself) to take time tomorrow to rest and refresh ourselves. I know that for those of you with young children at home, rest is at best unpredictable, but you could still set aside your ever-expanding at-home online work and even (yes, it’s your pastor speaking) any church-related work that doesn’t need doing immediately.

Our words can be few because “your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matt. 6:8). Our actions can be calm and restful (for at least one day a week!) because God is in charge of the world, not us. “Be still,” he says, “and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Maybe the stillness of Sunday will seep through to the rest of your week, making your work more manageable, your service of others less exhausting, and possibly even your children calmer and happier. God knows what you need before you even ask him.

And with that, I’ll take the advice of both Ann and the author of Ecclesiastes. I’ll stop.

Your brother in Christ,

Max