Rest? How Do I Do That?
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to share on the topic of rest in our Hebrew series. I encourage you to go back and listen to it here if you haven’t already. The main focus of the message, and what we believe as followers of Jesus, is that Jesus is our Sabbath Rest.
We believe that as followers of Jesus, we can live in a position of rest every day. We believe that rest is a result of Christ’s finished work on the cross. These are truths that we believe and can change our lives, but how do we live a life of restfulness?
If you’re anything like me, you love a good “How To” guide. I want to share some things below that I believe will help. Before we jump into it, I want to be clear that practicing rest is not how we rest. It is meant to be a means to help us focus on the main thing. The practices however, are not the main thing. If we’re not careful, we will become religious in our practices and forget why we have them. What practicing rhythms of rest will do for you is help you begin to live in rest in every part of your life. It creates healthy practices that bleed into every aspect.
How can we begin to practice living from a place of rest? This is not an exhaustive list but can be a good place to start.
If you’re able to take a full day, then pick a day each week and schedule it. If an entire day is too much for your schedule right now, then set aside a specific time that you’re going to rest. I really encourage you to put it on your calendar because many times if we don’t schedule it, it won’t happen.
One of the biggest issues with resting is that our culture is full of distractions. Recent statistics confirm that our phones and social media can be issues with our rest. Social media is a place where we can often zone out or hide. Studies show that too much time on social media actually raises our anxiety and FOMO, two things that are not helpful to rest. I would encourage you to turn off the distractions.
Please hear me. Our phones are not the enemy; it is typically our use of these things. I still have my phone on me in case I am needed, but I have found it helpful to cut out things that I don’t need.
I know that may sound very simple, and honestly, it is. I think we can sometimes make it more complicated than it is. The trust is that God is a good Father and wants to be with His children. He wants to tell us how much He loves us. When we spend time with our Father, it shifts our perspective. It reminds us that we have a Father who is on our side, has already made a way for us, and will always love us. We can rest when we get the revelation of that truth. We get revelation of His truth when we’re in His presence.
So…
4. HAVE FUN!
Spend time with your family and cook a meal together. Gather together with friends and prepare a Shabbat meal.
During a day of rest, do something that brings you life. Go outside and enjoy His creation. There is no specific formula to this, but take a deep breath and discover what brings you and your family life.
I hope these things will help you. Remember, they aren’t the answer, but they’re healthy rhythms that can help you enter into the rest that God has intended for you to live in.
Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”” - Matthew 11:28-30 MSG
We believe that as followers of Jesus, we can live in a position of rest every day. We believe that rest is a result of Christ’s finished work on the cross. These are truths that we believe and can change our lives, but how do we live a life of restfulness?
If you’re anything like me, you love a good “How To” guide. I want to share some things below that I believe will help. Before we jump into it, I want to be clear that practicing rest is not how we rest. It is meant to be a means to help us focus on the main thing. The practices however, are not the main thing. If we’re not careful, we will become religious in our practices and forget why we have them. What practicing rhythms of rest will do for you is help you begin to live in rest in every part of your life. It creates healthy practices that bleed into every aspect.
How can we begin to practice living from a place of rest? This is not an exhaustive list but can be a good place to start.
- Pick a time to rest and give it a try.
If you’re able to take a full day, then pick a day each week and schedule it. If an entire day is too much for your schedule right now, then set aside a specific time that you’re going to rest. I really encourage you to put it on your calendar because many times if we don’t schedule it, it won’t happen.
- Turn off distractions.
One of the biggest issues with resting is that our culture is full of distractions. Recent statistics confirm that our phones and social media can be issues with our rest. Social media is a place where we can often zone out or hide. Studies show that too much time on social media actually raises our anxiety and FOMO, two things that are not helpful to rest. I would encourage you to turn off the distractions.
Please hear me. Our phones are not the enemy; it is typically our use of these things. I still have my phone on me in case I am needed, but I have found it helpful to cut out things that I don’t need.
- Spend intentional time with God.
I know that may sound very simple, and honestly, it is. I think we can sometimes make it more complicated than it is. The trust is that God is a good Father and wants to be with His children. He wants to tell us how much He loves us. When we spend time with our Father, it shifts our perspective. It reminds us that we have a Father who is on our side, has already made a way for us, and will always love us. We can rest when we get the revelation of that truth. We get revelation of His truth when we’re in His presence.
So…
- Get still and let Him tell you about His love. You can find a Scripture about His love and meditate on it during this time to help get you started. (Chip Judd shared an amazing message about this in our Emotional Health series)
- Read the Word. It doesn’t have to be complicated, but His Word will change us. If you don’t know where to start, read a chapter in John each day then work your way through the Gospels.
- Worship and Pray. Turn on your favorite worship songs and sing away! Take time to talk with God. Share what’s on your mind and what you’re grateful for.
4. HAVE FUN!
Spend time with your family and cook a meal together. Gather together with friends and prepare a Shabbat meal.
During a day of rest, do something that brings you life. Go outside and enjoy His creation. There is no specific formula to this, but take a deep breath and discover what brings you and your family life.
I hope these things will help you. Remember, they aren’t the answer, but they’re healthy rhythms that can help you enter into the rest that God has intended for you to live in.
Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”” - Matthew 11:28-30 MSG
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