I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time sitting still. I’m a very driven individual. I’ve got a lot going on in my life. I’m goal-oriented and am always striving to better myself and others. In short, I’m a type-A person who, I must confess, finds it difficult to rest. And I don’t think I’m alone in this.
I’m glad we’re no longer under the Law, because if we were, I’d constantly be an offender in terms of keeping the Sabbath. In my world, there’s always more to do: more people to connect with, more books to read, more books to write, more ideas to flesh out. And that doesn’t even begin to touch my goals and responsibilities in my personal life! But again, you probably know all too well what I’m talking about.
Why is it we have such a difficult time resting? Of all the spiritual disciplines, resting seems to be one of the most difficult. Those of us who are goal-driven flounder when it comes to rest because we can’t quantify or measure it. I can set a goal to read three chapters in the Bible every day. And I can set aside time to pray. But how do I quantify rest? Here’s what I’ve found. Ironically, rest used to seem burdensome to me. I knew God wanted me to rest, but it was so hard to stop working and rest. There have been times, like after my brain surgery, when God has imposed a period of rest for me. It was during times like that I realized some important things about rest.
First, it occurred to me that God modeled rest before He asked us to rest. The Scripture says, “By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all His work.” (Genesis 2:2) But then I thought, Why did God rest? Certainly, He wasn’t tired or needed refreshing. He didn’t need to rest, so why did He rest?
I believe the answer to that question is given at the close of each day of creation. For instance, on the evening of the sixth day it says, “God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31) I believe God rested, not because He was tired, but so He could enjoy what He had made. In the same way, a day or period of rest for us serves to enjoy what God has done in and through and for us. We rest because He rested and showed us what rest looks like.
Second, I realized that God gave us rest—not as a burden—but as a gift. He knows much better than we do how much we need rest. Time to reflect. Time to process. Time to enjoy Him. Time to enjoy our loved ones. Time to refresh. Time to recognize how much we need Him. Jesus still beckons us, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” (Mark 6:31)
Scripture Reading: Psalm 23; Mark 2:27
Personal Application: When was the last time you simply took a day off and set aside time to enjoy your loved ones and all God has given you? Take time this week to rest. If you’re not clear on what rest looks or feels like, ask God to teach you how to rest.
Jim Grassi, D. Min.
We cherish any verse in Scripture that reminds us to keep focused and intentional about evangelism and discipleship. “But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” 2 Timothy 4:5