In our life of faith and service, rest is as important as work.

在我们信仰与服事的道路上，休息与工作一样重要。

[Jesus] said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” Mark 6:31

[耶稣]就说：“你们来，同我暗暗地到旷野地方去歇一歇。”-马可福音6章31节

The headline caught my eye: “Rest Days Important for Runners.” In Tommy Manning’s article, the former member of the U.S. Mountain Running Team emphasized a principle that dedicated athletes sometimes ignore—the body needs time to rest and rebuild after exercise. “Physiologically, the adaptations that occur as a result of training only happen during rest,” Manning wrote. “This means rest is as important as workouts.”

有一篇标题为《休息对赛跑者的重要性》的文章引起我的注意。在文章中，前美国越野跑步队员强调一个原则，就是身体在运动后需要时间休息与恢复，这原则有时连资深运动员都会忽略。作者写道：“从生理而言，当运动员休息时，经由训练所产生的体能改变才会发生。所以，休息与训练同样重要。”

The same is true in our walk of faith and service. Regular times of rest are essential to avoid burnout and discouragement. Jesus sought spiritual balance during His life on Earth, even in the face of great demands. When His disciples returned from a strenuous time of teaching and healing others, “He said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest’” (Mark 6:31). But a large crowd followed them, so Jesus taught them and fed them with only five loaves and two fish (vv. 32–44). When everyone was gone, Jesus “went up on a mountainside to pray” (v. 46).

在我们信仰与服事的道路上，也是如此。我们需要定期休息，以避免精疲力竭或灰心沮丧。耶稣在世上时，即使面对群众庞大的需求，祂仍保持服事与休息之间的平衡。门徒出去传道、教导与医治他人，回到耶稣那里时，耶稣就对门徒说：“你们来，同我暗暗地到旷野地方去歇一歇”（马可福音6章31节）。但那时有一大群人跟着他们，于是耶稣就教导众人，并以五饼二鱼使他们吃饱（32-44节）。群众都离去后，耶稣“就往山上去祷告”（46节）。

If our lives are defined by work, then what we do becomes less and less effective. Jesus invites us to regularly join Him in a quiet place to pray and get some rest.

如果我们的生活就只有工作，我们所做的就只会越来越没果效。耶稣邀请我们经常与祂一同在安静的地方祷告，并得到休息。

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your example of 

prayer alone with Your Father. 

Give us wisdom and determination to 

make rest a priority as we follow You.

主耶稣，谢谢祢成了我们祷告的榜样，
因祢常独自向天父祷告。

求祢给我们智慧与决心，
当我们跟随祢时，

也同样看重休息。

Mark 6:30-46New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them,“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. 33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

35 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. 36 Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”

37 But he answered, “You give them something to eat.”

They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”

38 “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.”

When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”

39 Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44 The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.

Jesus Walks on the Water

45 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.

马可福音 6:30-46Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Simplified) (CUVMPS)

无牧的羊

30 使徒聚集到耶稣那里，将一切所做的事、所传的道全告诉他。 31 他就说：“你们来，同我暗暗地到旷野地方去歇一歇。”这是因为来往的人多，他们连吃饭也没有工夫。 32 他们就坐船，暗暗地往旷野地方去。 33 众人看见他们去，有许多认识他们的，就从各城步行，一同跑到那里，比他们先赶到了。 34 耶稣出来，见有许多的人，就怜悯他们，因为他们如同羊没有牧人一般，于是开口教训他们许多道理。35 天已经晚了，门徒进前来说：“这是野地，天已经晚了， 36 请叫众人散开，他们好往四面乡村里去自己买什么吃。”

给五千人吃饱

37 耶稣回答说：“你们给他们吃吧！”门徒说：“我们可以去买二十两银子的饼给他们吃吗？” 38 耶稣说：“你们有多少饼，可以去看看。”他们知道了，就说：“五个饼，两条鱼。” 39 耶稣吩咐他们，叫众人一帮一帮地坐在青草地上。 40 众人就一排一排地坐下，有一百一排的，有五十一排的。 41 耶稣拿着这五个饼、两条鱼，望着天祝福，掰开饼，递给门徒，摆在众人面前，也把那两条鱼分给众人。 42 他们都吃，并且吃饱了。 43 门徒就把碎饼碎鱼收拾起来，装满了十二个篮子。 44 吃饼的男人共有五千。

耶稣履海

45 耶稣随即催门徒上船，先渡到那边伯赛大去，等他叫众人散开。 46 他既辞别了他们，就往山上去祷告。

整理：于姊妹