Chosen Rest

How often have you thought to yourself recently, “I am so tired”? If you are feeling like you need a serious break, even after some time off, a long weekend, or a vacation, you need more than a really good nap. You need rest. Rest is different than a break, or even time off. So, what is rest?

If a person were to take even a cursory look in the Bible and access some Bible search engine it would not take very long to realize that God has a lot to say about rest. This week I was struck but the fact that it only took 33 verses of the Bible and 6 days of creating before God chose to press pause on all his creating in order to rest. What is this kind of rest that God speaks of, and how does one do it? It seems that many of us could probably benefit from a bit of rest right about now.

Rest is not the absence of busyness or the craziness of our worlds whirling around us. Rest, to some degree, is the absence of engagement with all the craziness and busyness of life in order to engage with one’s self and God.

Rest is the place where we cease work, activity, and busyness to actively participate in renewal, refreshing, and recreation of the whole person.

Rest is a choice.

Rest is necessary and critical to healthy living. You can only run so hard, for so long before your body, soul, life, and community will begin to feel it.

Rest requires that we actually cease the activities that we regularly participate in so that we can enter into and engage with what rest is.

Rest is not just about the activities of the body at work needing a break. It is also about the mind having a chance to slow down, to cease the overthinking, planning, strategizing, and worrying so that you can actively choose to participate and realign with the mind of Christ, and his invitation to rest. The soul also becomes weary and needs to have the opportunity to experience the invitation and promise of Jesus in Matthew 11:28 to experience the renewing rest that he offers in exchange for the burden of weariness carried in the soul.

Rest is a place where our souls, minds, and bodies are able to gain proper perspective on the issues of life and to come back into alignment with what is most important.

For many, rest is about simply ceasing work. However, to experience the renewing rest for the soul that happens through the ministry of Jesus, we must choose to still our hearts and minds in his presence. Rest happens best in the presence of God. Psalm 91:1 ”Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”

His presence is also a place of renewal and restoration as we rest in him. Isaiah 40:29-31 says, “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

If His presence is the place of renewal and true rest then it is good to know that we can access His presence and His rest anywhere that we find ourselves.

This is where choice is required. Really multiple choices.

The first is the choice to make our dwelling place in His presence. We chose to try and rest in a lot of places and hope that the places that we are present will help us to rest.  When we dwell somewhere, we have chosen intentionally to make that our habitual residence. Home is where our heart is. Interestingly, where we go when we are weary, needing rest, or trying to rest will often indicate where our heart resides. Where is your heart residing, and does the place that you have chosen offer rest? Additionally, will you choose to dwell, abide, and align with Him in order to discover the rest that is offered in His presence?

More rest choices:

Will you choose to engage in His rest on His terms? Will you pause intentionally in His presence? Will we put our hope, affection, and attention on Him so that He can renew our strength?

Are you needing to rest right now? Feeling tired? What would it look like for you to choose to make your heart’s residence in His presence and respond to His invitation to give you rest?