After a Very Long Day

Have you ever had a long day? How about a very long day? What do you do after a very long day?

For some of us, we hit the ice cream. For others, maybe they like to settle down with their favorite coffee, tea, or drink. One friend of mine likes to go for a run. Another loves to watch sports. Probably many people turn the TV or computer on for at least a distraction, even if they are not watching anything. Depending upon the day and time, some may simply like to go to sleep.

The answer to what you do after a long day may be more related to what caused it to be a long day; what made your day very long impacts how you might respond in a particular incidence. If your long day included physical activity, maybe it is something to relax the body. On the other hand, if you were under much tension, you might turn to something mindless to put your mind in “neutral” per se. If you were sinned against by someone, treated badly, unjustly criticized, or had relational conflict, you might sit and lick your wounds in your mind. For each of us, our tendencies may be a bit different.

Even when I may want to stay up and finish a project, talk to family, connect with someone through texting, or something else, I may sit down and end up falling asleep regardless.

After a very long day…

In a fascinating story in Acts 15, the Apostle Paul and Silas experienced a very long day. A certain slave girl was demon possessed. On this long day, Paul cast her demon out relieving her of years of suffering. Her abusive owners, who cared little for the slave girl and primarily for their own financial gain, stirred up the crowd against Paul and Silas. Notice in this next paragraph how Luke describes what happened:

Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Wouldn’t you call that a long day?

What would you be doing? I understand, it may be hard for you to say. But, what do you think you would be doing?

Here’s what Luke reports about Paul and Silas:

But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. (Acts 16:22-25)

They were still up, sitting in their shackles, bleeding from their backs, and … worshipping! Praying. Singing hymns. No doubt, talking with each other as they talked with God. In other words, and this is the most important thing to recognize, they turned to God as their refuge after their very long day.

Whatever You Do, Try to Guard Your Heart

Of course, most of the things you can do after a long day are not sinful. All your favorites may provide you the comfort you need to recuperate: favorite chair, favorite drink, favorite dessert, favorite show, favorite magazine, favorite blog or podcast, favorite hobby, favorite stream, or favorite anything. Most of those things are at worst neutral, and may, in fact, be great.

What you do is not as important as where you turn. While you do those things, where is your heart? What are you mindful of? Who are you serving? Are you praying? Is there a song on your heart or on your lips? What is your refuge?

For Paul and Silas, they turned to God as their refuge. Instead of complaining, remaining frustrated, or otherwise being a bad testimony to those around them, they turned their hearts toward God.

Don’t get me wrong. You do not have to only pray and sing. However, the object of your refuge and rest must be God. Jesus says, “Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

God is our shelter, our refuge, our strength, and our companion. When the day is very long, join Paul and Silas, as you go to God for rest.

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