Rest
Shirley and I just returned from our 30th anniversary celebration—a cruise in the Caribbean. We had a wonderful time. I relearned a good lesson: rest is good and godly.
Once upon a time I was very good at working hard and then resting well. I used to be good at balancing work and rest. This vacation reminded me that, like a lot of people, I’ve lost the art of the beautiful rhythm of work/rest.
Why?
Some of it is external. For the last five years I’ve worked out of my home office. This makes it more difficult to differentiate between “work space” and “rest space.” Add to that the advent of “smart” technology and email, texts, calls are at your fingertips 24/7: a blessing and a curse.
Some of it is internal. I forgot that Jesus doesn’t call us to be the energizer bunny, nor does Jesus model 24/7 work. In fact, Jesus models the blessed rhythm of work/rest: Matthew 14:23; Luke 5:15-16; Luke 6:12-13.
Jesus shows us how to rest. Jesus teaches that we can rest and not feel guilty.
Jesus demonstrates that we worship God just as much when we rest as when we work. Our times of Sabbath rest, silence, and solitude demonstrate our trust in God, our dependence upon God, our realization that we are not indispensable. As Spurgeon wrote, “Sometimes the most spiritual thing a person can do is sleep.”
I’m recommitting to living Jesus-ly: by resting.
Join the Conversation
How’s your rhythm of work/rest?
I have to agree! I’m in the midst of a sabbatical after 30 years of pastoral ministry. Not only am I the most rested that I’ve ever been, but the rest has taught me things I could have learned in no other way (or at least HAVEN’T learned in other ways).
Well put, Ken. Rest teaches us truths, especially about ourselves and God, that we can’t learn in any other way.