Choose to Rest
“There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.” (Heb. 4:9-11 NIV)
We have myriad things that can fill our days—work, chores, family and friends, leisure and recreation, rest and cooking and sleeping. We have to decide how, when, or if these things fit into our regular schedules. What are the ways we can determine which activities are essential and which we can leave behind?
The most obvious thing is to imitate Moses, who consulted God: “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Ps. 90:12 NIV). When I consider my to-do list, I often feel overwhelmed. I’m prone to squeeze productivity out of every hour of the day. Monthly, weekly, and daily to-do lists keep me on task. I know what’s happening when, and if I somehow find myself with a free moment or two, I can consult my list of ongoing projects and tackle one of those.
While it’s good to make the best use of your days, God doesn’t intend for us to work ourselves to exhaustion. He wants us to use our time wisely, yes, but that doesn’t mean avoiding rest or fun. This is the area where I struggle immensely. God calls us to honor the Sabbath and make time for rest, but it’s been a challenge to turn that into action. It sounds funny to strive for rest, for a day of slowness, presence, and focus. I need purposeful time to remind myself that God is in control and the world will keep spinning even when I stop my plate-spinning feats of strength and skill.
As a stay-at-home mom who contributes only in non-financial ways to our family, being continually busy feels like the only way to prove my value to the household. Busyness is my currency and, if I stop to take a breather, it feels like laziness rather than rest. It certainly doesn’t help that my spouse is not adept at resting either. It’s hard to sit on the couch with a book when they’re doing yard work or changing light bulbs. It doesn’t matter if I’ve already cleaned the bathrooms and prepped food for the week. The fact that I’m not doing something at that exact moment feels like condemnation. It’s not something exerted on me by my spouse or anyone else, it’s entirely internal. It’s the enemy whispering to me I haven’t earned rest, that I’m falling short.
I probably won’t ever feel deserving of rest. My to-do list will never be completed, which only enhances this feeling. But God did not say rest was something we had to work for. It’s a gift that he’s offered to us, though many of us don’t accept it. Your reason for not slowing down may be different from mine, but it’s equally poor justification to God.
God’s command to rest and honor the Sabbath is both for our good and his glory. We’re finite creatures with bodies that break down from lack of sleep, overuse, and illness. We don’t know how many days we’re given, but we can trust that God’s plans for them are better than whatever we could imagine. How are we to find out what those plans are if we don’t take time to be still and listen? That requires taking a break from our activities through rest.
Choosing to honor the Sabbath will be challenging. It’s not natural for most of us, and there will always be something clamoring for our attention and time. We have to commit to holding space for ourselves. In our go-go-go culture, this is truly a radical idea. If we can grab ahold of it and implement it in our lives, it will bring so much joy and peace, things that disappear in the hustle and bustle of life.
Lord, please help me let go of my need to be busy all the time. Help me make room for rest and connection with you. Help me choose what is best and find the peace and joy I so desperately need. Bless me with your presence and with guidance on how to carve out time to just be, teach me how to honor the Sabbath. Amen.
Scripture for Reflection
“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.’ For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (Isa. 58:13-14 NIV)
“Also I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the Lord made them holy.” (Ezek. 20:12 NIV)
“In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for he grants sleep to those he loves.” (Ps. 127:2 NIV)
Reach for More
Carve out time this week to spend in stillness and prayer, asking God to show you how you can better honor the Sabbath.
enjoys reading, writing, traveling, and introverting. She loves nothing better than discovering a wanted book in a thrift store or hiking alongside a river with her family or a good friend somewhere around her home of Asheville, NC. She’s the author of Take a Chance on Me, a sweet contemporary romance set in Asheville, and can be found chronicling her reading and writing journey @megan.e.byrd on Instagram or writing about life at www.meganbyrd.net.
Photograph © Annie Spratt, used with permission
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