Category: Devotion

Disclosure: This is just my story and how I have processed what I have learned. It is not meant to serve as a diagnosis tool in anyway or a commentary on anyone else’s journey.  If you are experience depression, anxiety or suicidal thoughts, please contact a medical professional, certified counselor or call the Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255.  

After being diagnosed with depression and anxiety and finding a Christian counselor (Nate) and I was committed to the long haul of exposing the root of the problem instead of just addressing the surface issues.  (To catch up on all that read here, here and here.) 

Now what? 

Unloading on someone that’s paid to listen to you is helpful.  It relieves the pressure valve.  However, me just talking wasn’t going to get me very far.  I actually had to followNate’s guidance on the road to a healthier me. Now, Nate isn’t God and certainly wouldn’t claim to be, but he had wisdom and perspective on my life that I couldn’t see.  My way of interacting with the world had gotten me into an emotional and spiritual tangle; I couldn’t depend on my wisdom to get me out of it.  Having enlisted a guide, I needed to trust him. 

The waters of the unknown felt uncomfortable, like being blindfolded and led through a river of lava with only a few wobbly stones sprinkled along the way.  

“Journal about this…” 

“Express your feelings about that…” 

“Let it fail and see what happens…” 

More frequently than not, I pushed back. 

“You don’t fully understand my situation.”

“That would never work.”

“That’s not how my brain works.” 

“I could never say/do that.” 

Anger, disappointment, sadness, grief and even sometimes even joy take time and effort to process. As a busy mom and wife with a budding writing career, I didn’t have time to process a bunch of emotions that I chided myself for having anyway.   In some ways I wanted to be a robot, rolling through life without letting people and circumstances effect me. I also possess an overwhelming desire to what is right, (poster child of the Enneagram 1ß). I learned to suppress any feelings that could lead to wrong actions on the outside. Some feelings were sinful, but some were not. I sculpted, suppressed and white washed my emotions for so long, I couldn’t tell the difference between sin and genuine emotions I needed to let myself experience. 

My heart had become a trash compactor.  

Nate encouraged me to “let the trash fly,” to let the feeling on the inside come out. I was appalled. How could a Christian counselor encourage me to sin?  How could he want me to focus on my feelings when there were things I should be doingfor God?

He suggested that I had defined sin in a very narrow scopewhile even placing degrees on sin.  Whether I wanted to admit it or not, I believed that outward sins were the only ones that really mattered.  I would have never voiced that belief, but the way I had ordered my life clearly indicated what I believed.  Sin is fairly easy to deal with when it fits neatly on a Top Ten Things Christians shouldn’t do list.  Murder, stealing, abortion, adultery – those are all definable and fairly easy to avoid. Things like anger, unkindness, selfishness were pesky negative habits that simply had to be managed.  

So in an effort to prove him wrong and tell him what a terrible idea he had suggested, one night I let the trash fly.  My poor husband was on the receiving end.  At first it was a trickle, and then an avalanche and by the end we were both sitting in a pile of trash.  It took a nanosecond for me to see Nate’s point.  He wanted me to get a good look in the mirror.    

First, I saw what was in my heart.  Just because I didn’t let it come out didn’t mean it wasn’t in there.  All of my emotions and feeling weren’t wrong, but suppressing them soured them all into resentment, anger and bitterness.  God wasn’t impressed with my ability to check the right boxes on the outside.  In Scripture, He makes it pretty clear He looks at the heart.  In that moment the lie that only the “big” sins on the outside mattered was exposed. 

Second, I saw the pain I could inflict on someone I claimed to love.  My sin and trash compacting caused him real pain that left a scar. My husband is incredibly forgiving and does a pretty good job of not letting me see the effects of my sin on him, but that night it was undeniable.    

Finally, I began to see the damage the trash compactor was wreaking on my life and those around me. As a person created in God’s image, I was denying fundamental parts of my personhood. I wasn’t a robot void of feelings and emotions.  I needed to face my sin, my wants, my hurts, my desires to see who I was.  I had to stand in front of the mirror naked and admit what a mess I was. 

I wish I could say that the trash compactor empties out on the first try or that there weren’t other little trash compactors hidden away for difference people and circumstances, but unfortunately that’s usually not the case, especially if things have been building for a while.  It is a long road, one I’m still on, to learn to share, grieve, love and struggle in real time.  As I learn to recognize sin on the outside and inside and as I admit my need for love and grace more each day, the trash compactor doesn’t fill up as quickly.   

“Letting the trash fly” isn’t an excuse to walk around screaming angry rants at people all day or live in a cesspool of emotions, denying God’s power to work in our lives.  It is a temporary exercise to give a real clear picture into our heart.  

See, God won’t work on our facade.  He needs the real us before real work can begin, and for a lot of us, it takes some digging to find ourselves. While it can be an incredibly painful process, there is a brilliant light of truth that breaks through the darkness – God’s grace. 

I never appreciated grace until I saw my mess.  If I could keep things buttoned up on the outside, I cheapened grace to a one-way ticket to heaven.  I didn’t need others around me to extend grace if my view of sin was narrow enough to keep me in the clear.  

The only way to move forward is a really good look in the mirror of His Word.  We see ourselves for who we truly are.  Authentic self-discovery isn’t about finding a better version of ourselves. It is about finding our true selves in light of God’s grace.  

“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God:”

---

Over the past month we have examined the idea of rest and sabbath.  I hope these posts have provoked you to examine the importance of rest in your own life.

Today I want to leave you with a few practical ways to begin implementing regular period of rest into your week.

D.L. Moody said, “Think of men devoting six days a week to their body, which will soon pass away, and begrudging one day to the soul, which will live on and on forever!”

In order to make time for rest, we are going to have to make it a priority.  Our calendars may feel squeezed when we begin to push things aside to create white space, but when our minds are grounded in the understanding of our need for rest, the white space becomes as necessary as the air we breathe.

“But you just don’t understand my schedule, there is no time to give!”  

We are called to be stewards of the resources God has given us: time, money, abilities and resources.  As a young child I was taught to tithe at least ten percent of my money to God through the local church.  The message of tithing is clear: Give God a percentage and trust Him as you live on the rest.

Sabbath is the same principle.  As we carve out spaces on our calendar, we are in essence saying, “God, I don’t feel like I have this time to give, but I trust You.”  When we push frantically through our days, we are in danger of believing that everything depends on us.  But the weight of accomplishment is a heavy burden to carry.

For our families, this requires being careful with what we put on the calendar.  We need to prayerfully consider each commitment we make.  There are many good things, but too many good things will wear us out and stretch our families thin.

With kids this can be difficult.  Our oldest would be involved in gymnastics, dance, choir, piano, guitar, swimming, volleyball, Awana, theater and youth group all in one season if we let her.  As parents, we need to resist the urge to fill our kids schedules.  They need time to be kids and they often need us to say no for the sake of the rest of the family.

We need to do the same with our schedules.  If we say yes to every volunteer or work opportunity presented to us, without praying about and talking with our spouse, we will stretch our families to the breaking point.  No volunteer or work opportunity is worth giving our spouse and our kids our leftover, burnt out selves every day.

As moms, we are especially susceptible.  I’m guilty of what Shauna Niequist calls “fake resting.”  Fake resting is when everyone around you is watching a movie or taking a nap and yet you try to accomplish tasks while appearing to rest.  Whether it’s folding laundry, making a grocery list or writing lesson plans for the week – I always found a way to keep working.  I didn’t have time to rest.  None of these tasks are wrong and busy parents certainly always have to do lists piled high of worthy and necessary things, but at the heart for me has always been a frantic drive to accomplish the list. At the core of this frantic feeling for me is pride.   I never considered setting the list aside and trusting God with my time.  I felt like I needed to control my time.  I believed I could do it all.  I could do the whole list and when I was done people would love and admire me for my ability to do it.  This attitude could not be further from the call of our Savior to come rest at His feet, abide in Him and experience His abundant life.

For me, learning to rest is about learning to trust God.  To learn to sit in His unconditional love.  To bask in the idea that I am loved and accepted unconditionally, no matter what I accomplish.

God is many things – strong, loving, all-knowing, good, just and holy.  No part of his character is frantic or frustrated.  Learning to trade our frantic, tiring struggle for His joyous, abundant, peace-centered life is the Christian life in a nut shell.

He knows we need rest.  He knows we need Him. He is REST.

So what does this look like in our lives?

1 .   Personal Devotional Time

As believers, we have to spend time daily in the Word and in prayer.  It is our lifeline.  We cannot have a relationship with the Lord without regular, purposeful time together.

My friend put it like this: each day I give the Lord “couch time,” just like I do my husband when he comes in from work.  A short time (15-30) minutes a day getting to know Him through prayer and the Word.  Then once a week, we have a “date” – a longer period, 2-3 hours when I go for a walk or find a quiet spot in the park or the woods to have an extended period of time worshiping, listening, studying and meditating on the Word.

2. Family Devotional Time

As parents, we need to have regular times around the Word with our children.  We cannot simply send them to Sunday School or church, leaving their spiritual instruction in the hands of someone else.  As parents, this is our responsibility – our highest calling with our kids.

This will look different for every family.

In our family, my husband is typically gone before we get up, so the kids and I read scripture and do a short devotion together.  Sometimes, the older girls do a devotion on their own.  We want this to become a habit in their lives so that as they get older, it will be a natural part of their day.  Then once a week we have a family devotion time, normally on Friday nights.

3.  Family Nights

We have recently implemented Friday nights as family night.  Each member of the family takes a turn planning the activities and menu for the night.  This time includes our family devotion time, but it is also a time of rest.  Chad and I are not allowed to do any work.  No emails, no laundry, no cleaning.  We have dance parties, sing, play games, make art projects and snuggle up to read stories.

Maybe for you it’s not a family night.  Maybe it’s mandatory nap time on Sunday afternoon.  Maybe it’s taking Saturday night to prepare for worship the next day.

4. Serving Others

As a family, we look for opportunities serve our community – volunteering at food pantry or shelter, visiting folks in a nursing home, etc.. We want our kids to learn at an early age the joy of serving others, not expecting anything in return.

 

In the end, rest is not about being lazy.  It is not about saying no to things God has called us to do.  He has called us to labor in the fields and we should be tired at the end of the day.  But let us all remember His call to rest.  Let’s be a Mary that sets aside the list to sit at the feet of our Savior.  Let’s be parents that wisely manage our calendars and our schedules, taking time to look into the faces of the precious children He has entrusted us with.   Let’s release the frantic need to do it all and trade our striving for His abundant life.

SaveSave

“You just need a little me time.”
“You just need to get away and get some time to yourself.”

---

Has anyone ever said something like that to you?  Has it resonated?  Maybe you ignore it and press on, convinced that you are too busy.  Or maybe “me time” is more like your mantra – a way of life, something that you have earned.

Next week we will wrap up our look at rest and Sabbath with some practical ideas for how to implement regular periods of rest and reflection in your own life.

Today I want to just take a moment to look at this popular term “Me Time” and the place it has in the life of a believer.

To recap, we need three types of rest:

1. Physical rest and sleep to restore our bodies.
2. Rest and relaxation from stress and responsibilities to refresh our minds.
3. Rest to restore and renew our souls.

The first is non-negotiable.  Our bodies can function on little sleep, but our bodies and minds quickly break down if we don’t give our bodies adequate sleep.  Conversely, our minds can increase cognitive ability significantly when we get the physical rest we need.

Our society places high value on number two – vacation, hobbies, leisure time.

Number three is the rest promised in Matthew 11:28. It’s the rest that Jesus promises; the only source of true rest for our souls.

So what’s the connection between these ideas?

Me Time is defined as time spent relaxing on one’s own as opposed to working or doing things for others, seen as an opportunity to reduce stress or restore energy.

The idea of me time sounds great on the surface.  As a busy army wife, homeschooling mom of four, there is a nature pull toward “me time.” A pull toward doing things for myself – a spa day, mani/pedis with a friend, going to the gym or quiet cup of coffee.  Some may go bigger – girls weekends, hobbies, careers.  Our society constantly tells us that in order to feel rested and refreshed, we need time to ourselves.  Many advertising messages assert a subtle step forward – “you’ve earned it.”

As Christian women we need to carefully examine these messages that bombard us.  While these things can certainly have their place in our lives as believers (who doesn’t love pretty toe nails?), they fall short in replenishing our souls with what we need most.

The illusion of me time is a promise that the more we focus on ourselves, the happier we will be.  Don’t miss this: that premise is false.  It is a slippery slope to self-focus and selfishness.  Romans 7:18 Paul said, “In my flesh dwelleth no good thing.”

If we seek out times to focus on ourselves, believing that we will find rest and renewal within ourselves, we are believing a lie.  The more we focus on ourselves the more we think about ourselves.

It’s like going to Target.  Who comes out of Target with the one thing they went in intending to get?  Seriously.  We didn’t know we needed it, until it jumped in our red cart.  The more you go to Target, the more you realize you need from Target.

The more we focus on ourselves, the more we will focus on ourselves and the less we will focus on those around us.

Over and over Scripture urges us to die to self (Titus 2:12, Gal 2:20; 5:24, Rom. 12:1-2). In Luke 9:23 Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me.”

But as with so many things, the economy of God works completely opposite to the economy of the world.

Philippians 2:3-4 instructs us to put others above ourselves.

If you are a parent, you already know this.  Once upon a time Christmas morning was all about us, but what joy to see Christmas through the eyes of a child.  In Acts 20:35, Paul reminds of the words of Jesus, “It is more blessed to give than to receive”

As a mom, this can play out in the smallest of circumstances for me.  If I’m making dinner and my kids are tearing the house apart, instead of trying to just keep them quiet or entertained, I can bring them close and have them help me.  This does not always work out beautifully, I’ll admit…but more often than not, the joy they can experience helping far outweighs the “peace” I would have experience by pushing them away.

Feeling stressed or overwhelmed?  Volunteer one day a month at a boys and girls club, a nursing home or a homeless shelter and see if it shifts your focus.

So, should we cancel our vacations and girls’ weekends and spa days?  No, these things can certainly fall within the realm of renewing and refreshing our souls.  They can allow us time to connect with others and encourage each other.  We do need to be vigilant against the sublet lie of the enemy that focusing on ourselves will bring joy and happiness.  However, as a whole, we could probably stand to focus on others more and ourselves less, trusting that when we give of ourselves, we will find the rest and joy from a deeper source.

How could you focus on someone else today?

SaveSave

I’m excited to welcome my dear friend Tara Vinson as a guest blogger today!  Tara and I met while our family was stationed at Fort Campbell.  She is a pastor’s wife and mama of three beautiful girls!

Tara is continuing our series about rest – what it means and what it looks like in her own life.

I hope you are enjoying this series and walk away with practical tips to implement in your own life!

 

---

Knowing I need to rest and actually doing it are two totally different things. It can be as elusive as knowing I need to eat better or exercise more without doing what I need to do to make it happen.

Then, often inside my brain, when I try to rest finding it can be just as challenging and elusive. Like the insomniac being able to find sleep, dealing with the inner monologue of my constantly striving brain can keep me from finding the rest I need.

Like Stephanie has written, “resting” is commanded. God designed us to need rest -so we should have faith that He can handle things -all things- and be able to rest in Him. Saying it and knowing it is one thing . . .  Being able to do it, to have the faith required to rest, is something else entirely.

If you were to drop by on Sunday afternoon, you would find us all in the middle of an activity the we have entitled “Sunday Siesta.” Everyone one of us would be found in a horizontal position. There may or may not be snoring, but each of us has our own space and the house is most definitely quiet.

As my husband is in the ministry, Sunday is very much a work day. We try to protect a couple of hours of our Sunday afternoons for this time of rest, but if I am being totally honest, most Sundays my siesta isn’t very restful.

I am dealing with my inner voice listing all the things that need to be done around the house that I didn’t get to the day before. Then I start compiling the list of all that needs to be done that evening to prep for another busy week running from commitment to commitment. And I can’t forget the meal prep and grocery list that has come to resemble the never-ending task of doing laundry for 5 people.

I may be laying down and even snuggled under a fleece blanket of my choosing, but the bombardment of all the things I “should” be doing makes evasive the rest I so desperately need.

Then there are my expectations.  Most of those I have put on myself. The other expectations I wrestle, I have unintentionally allowed other people to place on my shoulders. They shape the things I feel like I should be doing. They motivate my planning and shape my hopes. Expectations are incredibly heavy. . .

Too often my expectations seem to be married to my own comparisons.  You know when I feel lousy about myself because “she” seems to have it all together. These comparisons keep me striving to measure up to some illusion of perfection that keeps evaporating before my eyes like a desert mirage. Looking to my right and left keep me busy judging and condemning or coveting and discontent.

Where’s the gratitude? The contentment? The peace?

The rest?

I can’t say that I have found the perfect formula to keep my Sunday Siesta from becoming a legalistic check-mark on my weekly to-do list. However, in the last year or so really I have found that rest can be found not just on a Sunday afternoon – but throughout the crazy, busy weeks of real life.

I am not “New Age” and I don’t support the idea of traditional meditation, inward focusing for the achievement of inner peace and a state of tranquility – but I believe will all my heart that rest can be found and achieved and kept in Christ.

When I am intentional to be in His Word and focus my heart upon the gospel – I experience rest and all the benefits that come along with it.

Don’t get me wrong. It is a struggle. It is NOT simple.

The voice in my head does not simply turn off when I open my Bible or begin to pray. In fact, sometimes, many times, it gets louder, screaming even for my attention.

Yet with a steady diet of Bible study, my faith grows and then so does my ability to rest.

I can combat those comparisons with the truth I read this morning that tells me how much God loves me and how He created ME with purpose and intentionality. I am not supposed to be like so-and-so. Plus, He will gently point out that it is by His grace alone that I am where I am in my relationship with Him. Who am I to judge someone else?

Through studying the truth of His Word, I am reminded that He is powerful and capable. My worries are minor to Him. He is already in tomorrow and the next day and the next week. He speaks to my soul, gently reassuring me that the things that really count will be accomplished and I should hold “my” plans loosely so He can work in and through me for my good by His good pleasure and for His glory.

He gently asks me “Who is judging the cleanliness of your floors? Or how balanced your kids’ breakfasts are?” His Word shows me what He has deemed important and tells me the things that He says I should be doing or not doing.

His Word is powerful (Romans 1:16-17) and productive (2 Timothy 3:16-17) . His Word, like manna, is the daily diet we need (Deuteronomy 8:3).

I knew these truths in my head. BUT the voice in my head told me that I was too busy to be in the Word. The voice also stroked my prideful ego and tried to tell me that I knew enough of God’s Word and I didn’t really need it. The voice told me I could do it on my own.

I found myself more weary and tired. The full life that Christ came and died to give me became a facade I was trying desperately to hold up. As a minister’s wife, a church preschool director and a “good” Christian, I felt the heavy expectations that I had to.  I was allowing Satan to steal and destroy the rest I needed, that I was commanded to have.

It is easy for me to still give Satan that power to tempt me into doubting God’s Word. Now weariness and worry become my indicators that I am not resting. A quick evaluation will point out to me that I am not focusing on the Word. (Note: I can be “in” the Word and reading it, but not  truly believing it or applying it!)

In Psalms, it says that He is my hiding place and my shield, that my hope is in His Word. (Ps. 119:114) When the battle is heavy, I can hide in Him and find my protection there because I know His Word is true. His Word tells me that He will finish what He has started and there will be a time when I don’t have to struggle to rest. It WILL come super-naturally for me.

 

Today, as I type this, it is Sunday. I got up real early to have some rest time in the Word, to focus on God. The sun has quietly risen and my heart is now ready to worship with my church family. After teaching Sunday school and listening to my husband preach I will feed my children lunch and we will have Sunday Siesta.

Tomorrow morning, as the sun, Lord-willing, again rises, I will meet with Him again to rest before the chaos of a new school/work/home week begins.

On and through both of these days I will ask Him to help me seek His face and His will -because His word tells me too. It also assures me that He will listen and He will answer. He will grow my faith and show me how His Word applies.

My hope for rest is in His Word. It is there I find who He is and who I am to Him. My strivings cease. My worries fade. I am rejuvenated and renewed. I rest.

Growing up I memorized The Ten Commandments.  They seemed pretty straight forward – don’t kill, don’t lie, don’t steal, don’t worship idols.  Maybe it was just me, but I tended to skip over one.

 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

I think I assumed this commandment didn’t apply to me.  After all, we are under grace now, not the law, right?

In Colossians 2:16-17, Paul reminds us clearly that we are not under the law, bound to rules and regulations, but under grace.  Christ fulfilled the law perfectly – the law that we had no hope to keep.  His perfection is now offered to us through salvation.    However, as believers today, The Ten Commandments are still  incredibly applicable to our walk.  So what’s the deal with this commandment?

David Guzik gives three purposes of the law for us today:

• It is a guardrail, keeping humanity on a moral path.
• It is a mirror, showing us our moral failure and need for a savior.
• It is a guide, showing us the heart and desire of God for His people.

God has chosen to communicate with us through words – words matter.  More words are given to this commandment than any other.  This gives us a clue that it is important and should not be brushed aside.

So using the Word of God has a guide and mirror in our lives, what should we do with the fourth commandment?  Should we observe a sabbath? Do we bind ourselves with a legalistic set of rules to follow?  Does it just mean we should go to church one day a week?

God provided an example to us in Genesis 2:3:  “And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.”

Spiritually, Jesus is our sabbath – we can find rest in Him every day, as we discussed last week.

Practically, God knew our bodies needed rest.  He designed us this way.  Contrary to American norms, we are not robots, designed to be in a constant state of work.  Our bodies and our minds need regular times of rest and renewal.

Growing up, I felt like the message from the pulpit was almost the complete opposite.  The culture of our church pushed us to volunteer and the size of the church often meant, in order to keep ministries going, you had to volunteer in multiple positions.  My perfectionist drive pushed me to willingly piled up responsibilities and expectations, but more often than not, it was done out of a spirit of duty and obligation.  At times I even viewed missing church due to sickness or vacation was weak at best and ungodly at worst.  Rest never factored into my thoughts or plans.

With this perspective, it is no wonder that in recent years I have been captivated by the idea of rest.  Whether its ministry, work, family, sports or school – God did not design us to live of life constantly at full throttle.  We need  time to slow down, to be quiet, to be alone.  I’m not even talking about vacations (vacation with four young kids is anything but restful!).

A time of rest would be a time to unwind, release the pressure of the day, relax our bodies and minds, connect with our loved ones and quiet the noise around us long enough to hear from God.  A time of renewal, admitting that we cannot do it all on our own, positioning our hearts, minds and schedules to reflect our true source of power and strength.

Throughout Scripture God tells us to be still.  Psalm 46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God:”

In tithing, we give a percentage of our money to God, trusting that He can meet our needs with what we have left.  What if we viewed the idea of rest and sabbath in the same way?  What if we carved out time in our schedule (above and beyond daily quiet times) to allow our bodies and minds to rest?  Could we trust God to multiply our remaining time to accomplish the things we needed to accomplish?

Things to ponder today given what we’ve seen in Scripture:

How often are you quiet and still? (sleeping does not count…)

How would you define rest?

Do you view rest as a need or a luxury?

Does your personal/family schedule reflect the value of rest?

Do you have a regular time each week to set aside work and allow your body and mind to rest? If not, what would it take to make time for it?

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”

What comes to your mind when you hear the word rest? What do you picture?

If you are a parent, you probably envision your pillow. (Maybe a pillow in a quiet hotel room away from the kids…now that would be true rest!)  Maybe you envision a vacation, a spa, a nanny or a housecleaner.

I picture the crystal blue waters of the Caribbean.  The gentle tide ebbing against the sand as the glowing sunshine beams down.

Do you long for rest?  Do you ever press pause on your life long enough to think about it?  Is it elusive?  Do we really need it?

As a mom of young kids, trying to juggle responsibilities as a wife, mom, teacher and writer often leaves me exhausted.  I have often wondered if exhaustion is normal, just par for the course in this season of life.  As I press deeper into my heart however, I have discovered that it isn’t just physical exhaustion that weighs upon my shoulders.  It is my soul that is weary; like my inner being has done one too many deadlifts and can’t seem to make it up the stairs without crawling.

When I look in Scripture I see that the Lord has promised abundant life, joy, rest and peace, yet in this season, the weariness seems at times to overwhelm me. 

And I can’t help but think that I am not alone.  

Over the next weeks I want to invite you to study the idea of rest with me.  What is it?  What does it look like in daily life?  How do we achieve it?

---

Merriam-Webster gives distinct definitions of the word rest:

Few would argue that our American, 21st century way of life promotes any significant form of rest as stated in those definitions.

Let’s take a look at each one more closely.

#1 – repose, sleep; specifically : a bodily state characterized by minimal functional and metabolic activities

Sleep.  There is an undercurrent in our society that seems to tell us that sleep is for the weak.  It is almost a badge of honor to burn the candle at both ends.  Sometimes our children or jobs require us to push through a hard day or season with little sleep to accomplish a specific purpose.  However, too often, this becomes a pattern.  We forfeit hours of sleep, thinking our bodies can function on 4-5 hours of sleep, when studies show that our bodies need more.

Adults need 7-8 hours of sleep every night in order to function well.  Children need even more.

(Just a few resources for further study on sleep: Sleep Foundation, Sleep Does a Family Good.)

#2 – a :freedom from activity or labor, b : a state of motionlessness or inactivity

As a mom of young kids, this definition is tough to even comprehend because I think this type of rest for moms is simply unachievable unless you are alone!

Typically, this would be our leisure time, whether at home or on vacation.  A time to put aside the to-do list and rest.  Relax.  Unwind.

#2, part 2 – c : the repose of death

Well, there ya go.  There is hope for rest for us all!

#3 – a place for resting or lodging

The cabana on the Caribbean Beach or the lodge in the mountains!

#4 – peace of mind or spirit

If we are honest, this is the deepest yearning of our souls.  To be at rest and peace when we lay our head on our pillows at night.  To have an inner haven from the outward striving and pushing and work.

In Matthew 11, Jesus speaks the words our souls long to hear:

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”

Jesus invites us to a place where our minds and our spirits are at rest.

“Come to me” is an invitation tells us that true rest cannot be found outside of Him.  The cabana on the beach will not give our souls rest.  No trip to the spa or day of shopping or fishing will give us the rest we truly crave.  Dear friends, if we are longing for rest, we can only find it at the feet of Jesus.  First through surrendering our lives to Him as Lord through salvation and then continually trading our lives for His everyday.

“All ye that labour and are heavy laden” gives us an insight into what makes our souls weary and tired.

“Labor” here has a good connotation.  Laboring and working hard as Galatians 6:9 instructs us.  There are many good things that we are to be doing.  II Thes. 3:10, Prov. 19:15, Rom. 12:10-11 all exhort us to work diligently unto the Lord.

“Heavy laden” has a completely different meaning.  It means to be burdened or weighed down with burdensome religious requirements.  It is only used one other time in Scripture in Luke 11:46 when Jesus rebukes the leaders of the day for burdening the people with an impossible standard of rules and laws.

What is so beautiful is that the Lord invites us to rest, no matter what is causing us to be tired.  He knows that we will be tired from the work that is necessary to do.  He knows we will be weary from burdening ourselves with expectations and pressures we were never meant to fulfill.

No matter what the cause, He is the answer.  He invites us to lay our burdened and tired selves down at His feet.

“Take my yoke” – Oxen are made to work.  They are not leisure animals.  Before the fall of man in Genesis, we see God instructing Adam to work.  The curse of the fall was not work itself, but that it would be difficult.
A well-fitted yoke is a blessing to the animal, providing the boundaries and guidance for it to work well.  A good parent provides boundaries and guidance for his child, in the same way our Heavenly Father gives us guidance and instructions for our good.

“Learn from me” – A young oxen would always be paired with an older, more experienced oxen.  Two young oxen paired together would equal chaos and frustration for the farmer.  A young oxen, when paired with an older oxen, could learn his ways and walk in His steps.  No striving, no fighting, no pressure to achieve.  All the young oxen needed to do was follow.

“I am meek and lowly in heart” – Our Lord defines himself as a humble servant, willing to carry the weight our burden.

“and ye shall find rest for your souls” – He lays out the prescription for the rest we need – trading our burdens for His.  What a sweet hope!

He is not calling us to a life of leisure, but to work from a place of rest as we lay aside our striving in exchange for rest, trust and hope in Him.

Take a moment to listen to this song.  Today take hope.  We have a Savior that has promised us rest.

(Study notes and commentaries used)