Rest: Peace of Mind or Spirit

 

"Cease striving and know that I am God . . .” (Ps 46:10a NASB)

Remember to
Enjoy and Absorb.
Stop
Trying so Hard.

Relax.
Enjoy.
Surrender
Time.


Why is it so hard to rest? We were designed to rest. Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made on account of and for the sake of man…” (Mark 2:27 AMP). This comforts me. God is not asking me to fill every moment of my life with activity. He wants me to take time off from worrying and fussing.

As I approach the end of this semester, this journey of going back to school for personal development, I marvel at all I have learned. I could tell you all my new knowledge about literature or how I survived College Algebra. Yet my greatest lessons had to do with trusting God, which included learning how to rest, how to surrender time to Him.

This semester especially, I kept hearing the gentle call to rest, to absorb, to enjoy the content. To not try so hard at getting it right and getting the perfect grade. This idea applies to any aspect of our lives. Why do I think that I control time? Time is God’s gift, and when I realize this, my life has more peace and less anxiety.

The gospels show Jesus resting in a way that reflects His Father’s intentions for the Sabbath. He healed, He modeled love and He even ate with His disciples. Rest doesn’t always mean inactivity, but it does cultivate a confident trust in God’s ability to calm and provide everything in His time.

As the Christmas season often pushes us into frenzy, I want to invite you to rest. To take some time to reflect on the goodness of God. To follow Jesus, who is “Lord even of the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:28)