Is God ever idle (doing nothing, not kept busy, groundless, frivolous according to dictionary.com)? From just these 2 verses I don’t believe so –
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1
Who is like you— majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? Exodus 15:11
(emphasis added)
Does God ever want us to be idle? Again from these verses I don’t believe so –
Those who work their land will have abundant food… Proverbs 12:11
The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Genesis 2:15
(emphasis added)
There are, however, times when we need to rest (refreshing ease, relief from anything that worries, a period of tranquility again according to dictionary.com) which is different from being idle. God rested –
By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Genesis 2:2
and Jesus often took time to be alone –
he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray…Matthew 14:23
But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:16
Being refreshingly at ease at home, reading, watching a movie, cleaning the house (yea weird I know but that’s a type of therapy for me!) are all good things…to an extent, but I found I can also take that too far, resting at home can lead to idling. Notice I didn’t say “refreshingly at ease at home praying”. Idling begins to take over in my life when my focus points to me, my needs, my desires and not on Him or His desires for me or His purpose for me.
After a hectic week in Nairobi and just wanting to seclude myself at home the Lord did a miracle in me then basically told me “get out of the house!” I believe God’s timing in revealing to me my idling nature was spot on (as it always is) because I had several small projects to attend to at the Academy: handing out pen-pal letters, getting responses returned for the pen-pal’s, typing end of year letters for teachers, organizing when a Christmas gift can be handed out to the orphans/sponsored students (thanks to a church in Michigan for fundraising for this gift) and just being able to watch the rain pour down from my office window. After He pushed me out the door with these projects I have to say I had much joy over the past few days not only knowing God was using me in whatever capacity was needed but obedience brought me out of an idling state of mind.
I’m not saying I’ll never be idle again because that seems to be one area Satan doesn’t have to try too hard to get at me (I am definitely NOT a type A personality!). Nor am I saying “doing things” is the action against idling. My rest must come from God and as He continues pointing out those idle moments to me, with His help, I can first rest in Him then continue with the work He has for me to do and stop idling and Satan in their tracks.