Rest

Why do you suppose God makes such a big deal out of resting? For He does, make no mistake. It is right at the start of the Bible, “God blessed the seventh day and called it holy.” Why? Because in it, He rested. The command is among His top ten, “Take a day of rest: you, all your family, servants, even animals.” Everyone and everything is to take one full day a week. There is more. He wanted the land, the promised land where He lovingly brought His chosen people, to have a rest every seven years. For one whole year nothing was to be planted or harvested in all the land. Every fifty years the land was to get a two year break.

Why such emphasis on resting? Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.”

I have a guess.

I think He wants us to rest because rest refreshes, energizes, and helps us toward the abundant life He wants for us. The land would actually produce more if it was allowed to lay fallow every seven years. Don’t you find it easier to be the person you want to be when you are not tired? Easier to be kind, patient, and brave? Easier to make good decisions, to do the right thing, instead of just the easy thing? Don’t you even feel happier, generally, when you are rested? Problems don’t seem as overwhelming, life seems more inviting.

I propose that God wants all that for us. I propose that He never intended that we should drag ourselves, exhausted, from one task to another in a blur of weariness that paints our whole world grey. I think I’m on pretty safe ground in this proposal, because He actually commands rest for us.

Of course I know that there are seasons of genuine suffering, where true rest is elusive, and I believe God uses those in other ways to deepen our faith and dependency on Him. But what He desires to give us under ordinary circumstances is a life that sparkles, and rest is the polish that brings out the sparkle.

There is more, but my 15 minutes is up, again.