Finding True Rest
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
When was the last time you truly rested? I’m not necessarily talking about sleeping, or taking a nap, though physical rest is certainly part of what Jesus was talking about here. What about spiritual rest? What does that even look like? What does it mean to experience “real rest?” What does He mean when by “unforced rhythms of grace?” These are all questions that come to mind as I read this passage.
I’ll be honest with you - I’m not approaching this topic from a position of mastery. Truthfully, I am not very good at this. This blog is equally to encourage you as it is to challenge myself. I like to run hard. 5th gear. I love to get things done, high impact, no brakes. And there’s been a few times in my life where this has caught up to me. I’ve ran at 9000 RPM for months on end without pausing to change the oil. Eventually I run out of gas. At worst, a blown engine. We live in a “Green Light” society – always moving, never stopping to rest, reflect, catch our breath, or take care of ourselves.
“You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until it finds its rest in You.”
Have you been here before? When you read those first three questions in Matthew 11, do you answer “Yes” to each one? Christ simply says, “Come to Me. Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly”.
In resting in Christ, we find peace. There are so many worries that could overwhelm our mind, our spirit, and our lives. We have to trust that God is in control, and even when things don’t go the way we planned, this truth never changes. We can rest and find peace even in the midst of the storms of life.
I am also taken by the phrase “real rest”. To me, it means that we often settle for shadows of the rest God wants to offer us.
What do you think real rest could look like in your life?
It’s important to note the importance of the Sabbath rest in Scripture. God makes it very clear the importance of devoting one day each week to rest. I know what you’re thinking…”Great idea, but tell that to whoever is planning my kids’ baseball tournaments, dance competitions, and all the other things that require our time and energy.” Very true. I feel strongly though, that if the God who created the universe and everything in it says to work as hard as you can for six days of the week and to invest one day to rest – that maybe He has some insight into what we need to “live life to the fullest” – which is what we are all searching for.
Here’s your challenge for the week:
Start small. Invest one hour before the end of this week to rest in Christ. This time can be used in many ways. For example, you could:
Find a quiet place by a creek or front porch and just enjoy the sounds and beauty around you.
Spend time in prayer, reflection and silence.
Spend some time in God’s Word.
Ask for Him to encourage your spirit in whatever challenges you may be going through that produce anxiety and fear.
Find rest for your spirit in Christ.
JUST BREATHE.
“Rest time is not waste time. It is economy to gather fresh strength... It is wisdom to take occasional furlough. In the long run, we shall do more by sometimes doing less.”