REST FOR THE STRONG AND THE WEARY
J.S. Taylor
Today's Scripture: “Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.” Hebrews 4:11, ESV
Theme: Stretch yourself by taking God’s command to rest seriously. Strive to enter that rest.
PLANNING FOR THE LONG HAUL
Many years ago, I decided to train to run a marathon. (This was well before running marathons became cool and everyone was doing it.) I had been a runner since high school, so I thought I had a good idea of what it would take. My goal was simply to finish the race, but I did want to finish well. I set about developing a training plan and reading books and articles about how to train. I had thought that I would certainly be running every day during the six months I trained. However, what I found was that the recommended plan was to have two long runs, two medium runs and two short runs per week…and on the seventh day to rest.
God also rested on the seventh day from His creation. He set an example for us, made it a command, and has indeed set aside a day a week for us to rest – the Sabbath. “So then there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God” (Hebrews 4:9, ESV) My life, albeit a short time in the scheme of things, is much like a marathon. I need rest to both embrace the good times and endure the various challenging situations life presents me. God’s design for us was to rest in Him each week.
About that marathon? I was able to successfully finish it all those years ago by following a training plan that included rest as an essential component. It enabled me to be at my best physically, spiritually, and mentally to run the race and finish well.
CAUGHT UP IN THE HURRY
“…there is a healthy kind of busyness when your life is full with things that matter, not wasted on empty leisure or trivial pursuits. By that definition, Jesus himself was busy. The problem isn’t that you have a lot to do; it’s when you have too much to do and the only way to keep up the quota is to hurry.” – John Mark Comer (The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry)
So often, though, in the bustle and busyness of our modern world, we fail to take time to give ourselves a break – to take the time for physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual restoration. The distractions that can monopolize our time are countless. Our unfettered ambition can drive us (although doing God’s work is a proper ambition). We are rewarded for being productive, and our validation can often come from accomplishment. And many things certainly have merit: family, work, friends, etc. However, we can have the tendency to take it too far, pursuing societal kudos and the acceptance of others.
Likewise, we can take our comfort through a myriad of activities: sports, food, drink, Netflix, kid’s events, that Vegas marketing conference, even volunteering at church, etc. This can leave little time for true rest. It can at times become activity for the sake of activity – it’s what our culture tells us is important. And yet scholars tell us that one of the primary causes of mental illness in our world is the lack of rest. Burnout is common amongst us – even (and perhaps especially so) those of faith. We can provide ourselves with little time for respite and resting in His love.
EMBRACING THE SABBATH
“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27-28, NIV)
According to Christian writer John Eldredge, recent research has indicated that burnout is “the accumulation of a thousand disappointments” (“Win Today” podcast). We can bury this pain with short-term comforts and all our trivial pursuits. We cover our wounds and fail to heal because we don’t “grieve the griefs.” And burying this pain can catch up with us, which can in turn impact our spiritual condition and degrade our walk with Christ. Sometimes, this can lead to the pursuit of an unhealthy life apart from Him. At the core of this, much of the time, is our reluctance to rest and rely on Him.
The Sabbath is meant as time to enjoy God’s blessings. It’s not intended as some sort of legalistic gesture but rather an embrace of the freedom we have in Christ. As Tim Keller puts it well:
“The purpose of the Sabbath is not simply to rejuvenate yourself in order to do more production, nor is it the pursuit of pleasure. The purpose of Sabbath is to enjoy your God, life in general, what you have accomplished through his help, and freedom you have in the gospel – the freedom from slavery to any material object or human expectation.”
Making It Personal: “But if in all our ambition we forget to rest, we’ll miss an opportunity to preach the gospel to ourselves and to those around us.” – Jordan Raynor (“Sabbath as a Sermon for the Ambitious,” The Gospel Coalition)
A couple of years ago my wife and I began to acknowledge the importance of the Sabbath – and to try celebrating it as intended. It’s been, at best, an imperfect exercise, but it’s had a significant impact on our spiritual growth in a positive way. I believe God has honored it.
We feel a sense of rejuvenation. As unhealthy fears have subsided, our level of peace has increased. There’s a heightened level of contentedness which I feel is directly proportional to the state of our spiritual condition. This, in turn, is directly proportional to our willingness to set aside a time to rest and acknowledge our dependence on the Lord of the Universe.
As the lyrics from a well-known hymn go:
“What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease;
My comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand."
"In Christ Alone" - Adrienne Camp, Geoff Moore
Pray: Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for Your love and kindness towards us. We are grateful for Your blessings and provision. Please help us to strive to embrace Your rest in this frantic world that can so often consume us - just as You have continually done at the same time for the rest of Your creation. We ask that You provide us the peace that flows from Your rest, so that we may better resemble the Good News of grace and mercy that we have through Your Son. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Read: Isaiah 30:15, 2 Timothy 4:7, Genesis 2:2-3
Weekly Memory Verse:
“I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119:11, ESV