Reset

 

The cursor on my laptop turned into that annoying circle going round and round.  Everything froze.  Word is not responding.  I begin responding!!  I push keys, hit enter but to no avail. I need to force a shutdown and Restart.  I wait impatiently for the computer to reset itself and start again.  So many of our electrical and electronic devices have this reset function built in to them.  Our ignorance or impatience has overwhelmed them – we asked the device to do too many things at once, or we pushed some keys that confused the computers.  If all else fails turn everything off and start again is the maxim where computers are concerned.  Funny really, we give this “grace” to our devices, we are in fact thankful that if we turn them off and turn them back on they will reset but we seldom give ourselves this reset grace.

RESET was the gift Lockdown gave us.  Everything shutdown and suddenly we were forced to stop our frantic, busy lives.  For some of us this was pure bliss for many others this was a, “Oh no-What will I do-how will I cope-anxious time!” As the days unfolded, in the quiet we heard the birdsong, saw clear skies and valued empty roads. We breathed, we noticed our neighbourhood and our neighbours (even if it was from a distance), our sense of community returned and we even smiled – we reset. It was a “historic” moment but perhaps it showed us that resetting is something we need to incorporate into our lives more often.

Reset is actually a very biblical concept. The word doesn’t appear in the bible but words like, rest, restore, repent, renew do.  Words that give us breathing space – to power off and restart.  To reset when we are confused, bewildered or angry.  To breathe when we are anxious, fretful and frustrated. To restart broken relationships, restore connections. 

Repent – a word for reset.  Repent, to take stock, to rethink what you are doing, to see clearly the wrong road you are on and to turn around, change our mind, your heart, your direction, to walk away from death and walk to life.  Repent, a hope-filled word that leads to refreshing.

Acts 3:19 “So repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins] and return [to God—seek His purpose for your life], so that your sins may be wiped away [blotted out, completely erased], so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord [restoring you like a cool wind on a hot day]” [AMP]

Reset when our minds and lives are stuck, going round and round, rehearsing the same old thoughts of pain, hurt, revenge or accusations. In the words of Isaiah, “Stop dwelling on past events and brooding over days gone by.”  Repent – change your mind or in the words of “Frozen”, “let it go!” To reset is to forgive, surrender those thoughts,  lay them down at the foot of the cross and receive God’s grace to start again.

Reset priorities, reassess what is truly important, filter out the distractions.  Jesus, challenged Martha to “reset” when she angrily asked him to tell her sister off. “Martha, you are distracted by many things,” and he called her to reassess what was truly important in the moment. He commented on our anxious, compulsive behaviour about what to wear, to eat, to do by resetting our focus to “seeking first his kingdom then all these other things will fall into place.”

Jesus knew and practiced the principle of “resetting”.  He did it often.  He did it through solitude and prayer.  After a busy day ministering to the crowds, he withdrew to a quiet place, to reset.  I suspect he talked over the day with his father, reviewed and reflected and then reset for the day ahead. It was the “secret” of his life. He was never flustered, frustrated or fretful. He knew how to reset.

Reset, it could be another word for Sabbath. Taking the time to reflect, review, renew and reset with the source of our life and power – Father God. 

Reset, a word not just for “lockdown” but for today, this week, for always. 

Push the button, this week and RESET.