Skip to content What does it mean to find rest in the Lord? In our hectic lives, finding a moment of rest can be difficult. In our modern age we are so deprived of this essential activity we don’t even know what it is. And unfortunately, scrolling through our phone for hours is not rest, yet we confuse it as such. We pass through day after day, week after week in a hurry, anxious and ungrounded. And we wonder why are we so tired? The question we need answers to is, how can we find peace, and how can we find that peace through resting in the Lord.
Embracing God’s Presence in Our Lives
To embark on the journey towards peace and rest in the Lord, the initial step is embracing His intimate presence in our lives. God is not a distant, disinterested entity; rather, He is intricately aware of every aspect of our existence, even knowing the number of strands of our hair. This awareness brings a sense of companionship and assurance, providing both peace and direction. Invite the Holy Spirit into your life, allocate time for prayer, Bible study, and cultivate gratitude. Consistently engaging in these practices is crucial for fostering a profound relationship with God, enabling the discovery of genuine inner rest in Jesus Christ. For more insights, explore the following articles: 5 Ways to Depend on God and How to Increase Faith in God- Top 10 Ways
Sabbath Rest
If you don’t practice a ritual of Sabbath in your weekly routine you are missing a vital gift to humanity. Our bodies work on regular rhythms, whether it be our daily hormonal fluctuations, our sleep wake cycles, or our dietary system and so does our spirit. Our soul needs a rhythm of rest as much as our body needs physical rest. As Jesus plainly puts it that man was not made for sabbath but rather sabbath made for man. It is unnatural for our bodies not to experience a break from the daily routines of life.
Rest from what Activities?
There are obvious things from which we need rest, such as work and physically taxing matters. Additionally, we require respite from the routine pleasures we regularly engage in, whether it’s internet surfing, watching TV, or the day-to-day activities like cleaning, yard work, and the like.
These activities are not inherently bad, nor should they be completely avoided. However, there should be a rhythm to recenter why we engage in them and what we live for. This recentering occurs through moments of rest—quiet reflection, self-analysis, and reconnecting with God.
There have been plenty of times in my life when I’ve operated on autopilot, without much consideration for my actions and their purpose. Without a structured approach to rest, we can drift through life and find ourselves in unintended places. Have you ever encountered someone, or have you experienced a moment where you’ve questioned, “How did I end up here?” or “What have I become?” Re-centering guides you onto the correct paths and enables you to navigate the world with purpose and focus. However, achieving this requires the essential element of rest.
Ideas on Scheduling in Rest
There are many ways to incorporate rest into your routine. One traditional approach is to follow the seventh-day Sabbath rest rhythm. In fact, God set aside all His work to rest on the seventh day. Perhaps we could designate a specific day to break from our regular life schedules. While not being dogmatic about which day, it’s clear that God created us to have a day of rest. Utilize this time to pray, delve into His word, and renew your faith by spending time in the Lord’s presence.
1. Pray
Establish a daily routine to pray or, at the very least, remind yourself of God’s grace. Let it be something that rejuvenates you throughout the day. I used to perceive prayers before meals as inauthentic, often reciting rote sayings. However, I now view them as a ritualistic moment to reflect on my purpose: living to serve and worship God. Finding a designated time for this can indeed rejuvenate a weary soul
2. Go on a Walk
Go for a walk. There are numerous benefits to walking. However, a practical reason to walk is that it is challenging to engage in many other activities while walking. It’s difficult to consume a hefty meal or use your phone, although many attempt to. Writing or typing anything is also challenging while walking, rendering most work impractical during this activity. Walking inherently compels you to refrain from a multitude of tasks. Unless you resist this, it allows you to be alone with your thoughts or be present in your environment. Consequently, it is an ideal time to find rest.
3. Sleep
Our bodies need rest. I’m singling out sleep specifically because it impacts our mental, physical, and spiritual state. As a physician, I regularly see people who either do not get enough sleep or have disorders related to sleep. Aside from the fact that there are many ailments associated with poor sleep quality or lack of sleep, it also impairs clarity of mind. It makes it harder to think, to focus, and affects your mood. Getting poor sleep affects how you approach life in general. Thus, getting that physical rest is important for finding peace and soul rest.
Jesus Christ: The Source of True Rest
Jesus Christ is the provider of true serenity; in fact, He is our true Sabbath. While we need rest in the ways described for our body, mind, and soul to function optimally, true rest comes from one source: Jesus.
Aesthetic, Ethical and The Religious
Throughout our lives, we struggle, work, and worry. Soren Kierkegaard, a Danish philosopher, theorized that we have three stages of life: the aesthetic, ethical, and religious. In short, the aesthetic is the pursuit of pleasure and self-centered goals. The ethical involves understanding that we are part of a community, working towards collective goals, whether within our immediate family or the broader sphere of humanity. Through these stages, we engage in labor, experiencing the burdens of life. It is only in the third stage, the religious, that we can find true rest.
We can go through life doing tremendous good but still be filled with angst. It’s not uncommon for those with the heart to do good to experience the same amount of stress and anxiety as those who live for themselves. Doing good and living morally does not automatically generate a sense of peace.
However, the religious stage is the connection with our God, the creator. This is where we have the opportunity to find true rest. A proper relationship with God is what brings about rest. If our relationship with God is such that we have to attain a level of moral perfection to be close to our Creator, our good deeds can easily become a burden. The worry in our life changes from the struggle of the world to a battle with God.
Jesus is the answer
Jesus, however, signifies the perfection that God demands. Are we good enough for God? Are we acceptable to our Creator? We are. We most definitely are. Not because of our achievements but because of Jesus Christ’s achievements. Our belief in Jesus and what he has done for us lifts the weight of the world and of God’s commands, allowing us to let go of the impossible burden. Furthermore through him and because of him, our life does not end in death; instead, we are given the hope that we will rise again like Jesus before us. Do you believe this? This belief is directly proportional to the rest your soul craves. When you realize that the deepest desire of our heart is that God, our creator, finds satisfaction in us, you can have peace.
Conclusions
True rest in the Lord is built into our DNA. We need those quiet waters, away from all the burdensome work. Make a routine of finding rest with your physical body. Make Sabbath rest a habit. But most importantly, look to Jesus as your true source of rest, as he is your true Sabbath.
