Recently I was working at my computer when all at once there appeared on the screen the words, "You have committed an illegal act and must restart your computer." I had no idea what kind of illegal act I had done, but you can't argue with a computer, so I was forced to follow the instruction and restart, or in computer language, reboot. When one reboots, the scan disk scans the hard drive disk for any errors or malfunctions and corrects them. As a result, the computer is regenerated in its ability to function.
Humans are much like computers in that they need periodic time for rehabilitation and renewal. Doctors tell us that many of the ills of mankind are caused by stress and tensions of life. The body reacts by sending out signals that it's time to reboot. Without regular rest and recuperation, the mind becomes sluggish and inefficient. If these signals are ignored, there can be a mental or physical breakdown, and one is forced to cease and withdraw from the stressful condition and get a new start. We have been provided by a loving Creator with a daily routine of daylight and darkness for work and rest on a twenty-four hour schedule. Also, God has ordained from the very beginning of creation that time be divided into seven day increments called weeks. There is no scientific reason for this, but we are instructed to rest on the seventh day. "Six days shall you labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work..."(Exodus 20:9,10, NKJV). If man would follow these simple instructions and take advantage of daily and weekly rest, the result would be greater mental alertness and physical well-being.
In addition to physical rest, there must also be a time of spiritual renewal. Jesus set the example with His advice to His disciples, "And He said to them, 'Come aside by yourselves to a desert place and rest awhile.' For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat." (Mark 6:31). Jesus and the disciples lived a rather hectic life with the demands of the public for their attention, and they needed to escape occasionally from the demands of life. It was during these quiet times of renewal that Jesus was able to instruct them concerning His mission and the way of salvation. Jesus Himself was found frequently in prayer and meditation during which He received strength and encouragement to meet the rigors of His daily walk among men and to resist the wiles of the devil.
One night a Pharisee came secretly to Jesus asking what he must do to be saved. Jesus answered his question with an enigmatic statement that he must be born again. A person is born into this world on the wrong track with a propensity toward illegal acts. Jesus is saying stop what you are doing; you have a fatal flaw and must restart. You must have "a spiritual rebooting."
