3 Tips To Rest In The Lord

Crazy chaos is what our lives are and can be. Busyness and packed-like-sardines schedules have become a norm, and resting can be a scary matter for many of us. 

As our Creator, God knows our limits and our need for rest. He is a good God who sincerely cares for our well-being! At the beginning of Creation, God modelled rest for us when He rested on the seventh day (Gen 2:3).

So many of us feel guilty of being lazy or unproductive for taking rests, but even Jesus took naps. In fact, He even invited His disciples to get away with Him to places where they could recharge and be unbothered! (Mark 6:31)

Rest is not an option, it is a divine command. For us to have a full life and productive longevity, we cannot skip out on rest! God wants us to be healthy and full of life in every aspect, to be replenished not only spiritually, but also physically, mentally and emotionally.

So, how do we rest?

True rest is found in the presence of Jesus.

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. – Psalm 21:1-3

It's the presence of Jesus that gives life to our souls and rejuvenates our spirits. Immerse yourself in the Word of God on your day of rest, and commune with Him through prayer.

We rest by preparing to rest.

Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. – Deuteronomy 5:13 

Rest is intentional! Our rest plan should be carefully thought out and planned in advance. To create a regular rhythm of rest, we must have a responsible rhythm of work. Plan ahead and choose a day in the week that we can regularly rest. It doesn't have to be a Sunday – we can choose a day that realistically and regularly work for us and our schedule! 

Instead of letting our schedule control us, we must control our schedule and trust God!

Do something that delights and replenishes us. 

On the day of our rest, we should do things that give us life, and avoid the things that drain us. If possible, we should avoid any work that would deplete us.

The way each person rests may look different, but the point is to do something that would cause us to feel refreshed and glorify God as a result!

Rest allows us to enjoy work and glorify God when we do work. Rest helps us to be more fruitful in our work and to enjoy God and His design for us as finite beings.