Misplaced Rest (And What It Reveals)
Packed schedules, a full inbox, and of course, another load of never ending laundry await us. Busyness seems to encroach upon us like a bird swooping down to her nest. And while many of us find ourselves busy and perhaps oftentimes exhausted, the call to rest remains. So why do Christians rest? How do Christians rest? What does our rest (or lack thereof) tell us about ourselves?
Because God doesn’t rest, we can rest.
The character of God shapes how we see ourselves and our circumstances. As the author and perfecter of our days, the Lord has written our stories and continues to conform us more and more into the image of Christ. As our refuge, God remains as a safe place of protection. As our keeper, God keeps us, helps us, and doesn’t slumber.
The first couple of verses of Psalm 121 highlight why we can rest: “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2) And as we keep reading, the writer says, “He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” (Psalm 121:3-4)
The psalmist does not want us to miss this—God doesn’t sleep so we can sleep. God keeps heaven and earth so he will keep us. He’s going to make the sun rise tomorrow, and he doesn’t need your help to do so.
Psalm 121 is a psalm of ascent which means it was written to turn our gaze upward in awe of God. Verses 1-2 remind us to look up, to remember that our help comes from the Lord. And then verses 3-4 declare that God keeps us. As our keeper, God doesn’t sleep nor slumber.
Because God doesn’t rest, we are called to rest. Our rest reminds us that God creates, helps, and keeps. We rest in our creator, helper, and keeper.
We’re always resting in someone or something.
Rest isn’t limited to physical rest. And while I personally thrive off of eight to nine hours of sleep, rest isn’t entirely dependent on your REM cycle. Consider what rest is. To rest is to abide. To abide is to remain. And we’re always remaining. The question is—in what or whom are we remaining?
Consider John 15. Jesus calls his disciples to abide in him, the Vine. We live out of what we abide in. The Fuji apple branches that abide in the apple tree bear delicious Fuji apples. As believers abide in the Vine, the Lord bears the fruit of the Spirit.
So what do you rest in? Whether performance or productivity, approval or accomplishments, marriage or motherhood, we will never fully rest until we rest in Christ.
What we worship determines where we seek rest.
What/who we worship shapes who/what we rest in. We rest in what we worship.
God created us for worship. And we’re always worshipping someone or something. Whether our kids’ accomplishments, our Instagram worthy dinner, our work promotion, our number on the scale, we are always esteeming something or someone worthy of our worship. And whatever is on the throne of our hearts has power and will be sought for peace. To esteem our marriage or our job more than Jesus will fall short every single time to give lasting rest. Our misplaced rest reveals our misplaced worship.
Full rest can only be found in the Father. We find temporary rest in that which is temporary—our circumstances. The Spirit helps us experience rest despite our circumstances.
God commands our worship of him. He alone is worthy of our deepest adoration. And when we often worship creation over our Creator, grace abounds. We need God’s grace to turn our eyes upward, to rightly worship him with our affections, actions, and thoughts.
Rhythms of rest rightly reorder our worship.
Silent retreats, spa days, and ten hours of sleep might not be part of regular rest for you. And while we all rest differently, we are all called to rest.
If I’m honest, after a long day of work, nothing sounds better than the couch with a Dateline episode and a craft beer. And while there’s nothing inherently sinful about a Keith Morrison narrated mystery, a comfy couch, or a hibiscus Colorado brewed sour, that’s not always the best way for me to rest. Sometimes it is. And sometimes it’s not. Sometimes my husband and I need to rest by reading Scripture together, by asking intentional questions to one another, and sometimes I just need to sleep.
Jesus escaped the crowds. Jesus spent time in prayer. Jesus rested.
We look to Jesus as we seek similar rhythms of rest. Daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly moments of rest reorder our worship. Whether it’s praying during the car ride home from the grocery store, enjoying early mornings with coffee and the Bible, or walking through your neighborhood on a Sunday afternoon, the Spirit equips us to pursue intentional moments of rest.
The hope of the gospel reminds us that God writes a better story of redemption. Whatever season you’re in, God is on the other side of it. And he intends for you to walk faithfully, resting in him amidst suffering, struggles, and joys.
Consider both why you rest and how you rest.
Head: How does God want to renew your thinking about rest? Pray that the Spirit will renew your mind to rest in Christ. Reflect upon Psalm 121. The creator of all doesn’t sleep so we can sleep.
Heart: How does the truth that God is our Keeper stir your affections for him? Consider how your rest can grow your love for Jesus. What do you often rest in other than Christ? Whether it’s social media scrolling or Amazon shopping, consider where God might be calling you to turn to him for rest. Repent of turning to those temporary sources of rest and ask the Spirit to help you rest in the Lord.
Hands: What rhythms of rest do you need to strengthen, implement, or alter? Consider daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly rhythms of rest. Seek out accountability to help you walk in faithful rhythms of rest.
“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”
- Augustine
May the Spirit continue to help us be women who both work hard and rest deep. Our Keeper doesn’t rest so we can rest. Perfect rest is found in Perfection, King Jesus. And until we enter perfect rest with Christ in eternity, let’s abide in Christ in this life.
King Jesus is our rest, our redeemer, our hope. The people of God rest in the person of God by the power of God. Rest well, rest deep, rest often.