Rest Ye Weary Soul

What Does it Mean to Rest?

I was at a friend’s house recently and the topic of rest briefly came up. I told her I would dedicate this week’s blog to the topic. This is not a concept that I have mastered, but one I am learning to come to grips with and how I can live it out more faithfully.

Most, if not all of us lead very busy lives. For some, being busy gives a sense of importance, others a distraction from more pressing issues and for some “no” is not in your vocabulary so you suffer the consequences. My husband has admitted to being a bit of a workaholic in the past. To this day I’m not sure that he has an off switch. I also like to keep busy. I find great purpose in work, but I also do not know how to really enjoy moments of rest because it is hard to shut off the part of my brain that conveniently informs me of what ‘isn’t’ being done.

What is your idea of rest? A mental picture of lounging on a beach may come to mind. Maybe its 24 hours without your kid(s) or binge watching your favorite movies or shows….We are often taught whether implicitly or explicitly that we are the sum of our work. It is through what we produce and consume that often defines and gives us value. We are rewarded with money, attention, more opportunities and a sense of fulfillment by the work we produce, this gives us the motivation to do more. Once we enter the rat wheel of life, slowing down much less stopping doesn’t seem to be an option. Please hear me when I say work is good. God gave us this good earth to cultivate, to meet our needs and to create into the future, but as the saying goes, too much of even a good thing isn’t always good.

What Does it Mean to Rest?

Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. Gen 2:1

Giving the context for this passage of scripture, Moses is giving the creation account to a band of ex-slaves. For 400 years, these people literally worked till their body and spirit gave way to death. They had no choice; the rat wheel was their master. Now, through this account Moses is telling them they are to develop a new way of life. One that says I am no longer truly defined by the sum of my work. Work is no longer the end in itself but a means. This was revolutionary. During a day when work was the ONLY means of survival God says, come away with me. He has taken rest and He invites us to share in the blessing.

When we take a step back from the busyness of life to rest in God, we are reminded that He truly is the source of our identity and provision. We are refreshed when we take the time to enjoy the fruit of our labor as God does from the very beginning. In this rest we find refreshment, a time to devote ourselves to contemplation on our own and in community. We give ourselves the opportunity to find the deep joy that God intended. In rest, we get our priorities straight. It is then we remember that our true value comes from our relationship with our Creator, which naturally overflows into our relationship with others. God can do more with ‘less’ work laid at his feet than He can do with more accomplished through striving.

I have no intention of prescribing a one size fits all solution, but more of a principle to be guarded in our hearts. Resting in God is more of a lifestyle than it is a checklist. A lifestyle that reminds us we have a loving Father who wants to take care of us and enjoy us. That says be still and know that I am God. Don’t rob God or yourself of that pleasure, for there are blessings to be found that can only come when you realize you do not have to keep the wheel turning….