Striving to Enter Rest

Christiane and I just came back from a wonderful time of vacation, so biblical REST has been on my mind. The idea of rest is a beautiful concept, but has been difficult for me to realize through my life and ministry.

Rest can be illusive in our culture.  Even when we have a day-off from our job, many times we don’t actually rest.  This time gets filled with other businesses. Perhaps, even personal business that’s necessary (i.e., work around the house, kid’s activities, or volunteering), but ultimately does not provide the rest we need. So, how do we enter the rest that refreshes our soul?

God has created us with the need for the rhythm of rest.  Physically, if we go without even just one night of sleep, we can feel wrecked for a week.  However, it’s more than just a physical need that prompts and demands a weekly Sabbath, it’s a spiritual one. You see, rest requires trust.

The seventh day of rest God took at creation modeled for us the rhythmic rest of Sabbath keeping.

Heb 4: 10-11

So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.

This means far more than not doing what you call work.  It is stopping what you do to make money, or some cases even give you identity in the world.  We say to God, “I’m not going to strive today to provide for myself and my family, but I’m going to remind myself where I put my TRUST for provision.”  A weekly sabbath rest is a recalibration and reminder that our provision and identity come from God – Father, Son, Holy Spirit.

Of course this should be a daily act of surrender as well.  We walk with Him minute by minute every day, but on a Sabbath we ‘turn off’ the planning, pursuing, and doing for an entire day to allow something to happen inside of us.  It’s a way to show our trust that God’s love is practical and will provide.

But a Sabbath rest isn’t passive, we actively pursue Him in this restful reminder. The Scripture above seems to contain an oxymoron of ‘striving to enter rest’.  This is not a contradiction.  The true pursuit of rest is a pursuit of God within this rest. Please, let these words sink into your heart and mind. Rest does not simply equate absence of work, or being lazy. This rest has more to do with a posture of our hearts.

If you take a Sabbath on Sundays this is a great habit.  Although getting up early, getting dressed, and making it to church can be a task not always easy, worshiping with other believers is a wonderful reminder of who we are in Christ and how we are part of His family.

Christiane and I usually sabbath on Saturdays (yes, many times I use sabbath as a verb!). We turn off outside noise and focus on our inner life.  This can be in the form of reading, having lunch or dinner with friends, praying, or whatever rejuvenates our hearts, souls, and minds.

The most restful Sabbath causes us to reflect back on the rest Jesus has already made available to us.  At the end of the day I have been reminded of God’s goodness and kindness towards me.  It may have been a Scripture or reading a book.  For us, it often comes from talking with each other. I personally love going for a hike and being intentional about hearing God’s voice. Our adult son, Caleb, regularly takes his sabbath on Mondays as he also works in a church, so Sundays aren’t very restful.  He often talks of the rejuvenating drives through the mountains of Virginia, while he worships and talks to God.

A healthy Sabbath is whatever causes you to recalibrate and refocus on the rest already given through Christ’s death and resurrection. Whatever you do, some of the best pastoral counsel we can give you is to take a regular and intentional Sabbath.  In our culture of endless activity and finding identity in what you DO, this ancient practice of rest is a true gift. There’s joy, gratitude, inner peace and unconditional love that fills us in special ways, when we are purposeful in acknowledging His Presence and taking time to just BE with Him.

We pray that entering His rest becomes a life-giving practice to you! One that can re-set your heart and mind and reaffirms your identity in Christ, so that your whole week can unfold from this place of resting in HIM.

Blessings and Peace,

Rev. Todd and Dr. Christiane