Finding true rest in a world of chaos and busyness

What does rest look like for you? It’s easy for us to say things like “I need a break” or “I need a vacation/getaway”. I know for me, I always feel like I need a moment to get away and reset because we really are a very busy generation. There is always something going on. There are family functions, friend’s celebrations, concerts, conferences, kid’s practices/games, work obligations, emergencies that come up, literally always something! Whether it be things we must do or things that we just sign up for (and wish we hadn’t of🫠 ), there is just always something that we must tend to. When I look at my calendar sometimes, my mind just starts getting anxious because I’m like “how did all this stuff pile up and get piled on?”  We live in the hustle culture, so we feel as though being booked and busy elevates us to a higher title, but really it does nothing but drains us. I do believe that in some seasons we are going to be busier than others, but God never called us to a life of busyness and chaos. Ever wonder why once you finally go on that trip, take that day off, or get that massage, you still feel exhausted? That’s because we found relief for the moment, but our bodies and spirit really needed a different rest. We needed a rest only God can give.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

God wants us to get into a habit of rest, not just a here and there thing. We all know that in the beginning when God was creating, he rested on the 7th day, which he called Sabbath, and declared it holy. If God needed rest as the Creator, it makes sense that we also need rest from our creative nature.

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. Genesis 2:2

God intentionally made the Sabbath for us because he knew we would need it. Mark 2:27 tells us that the Sabbath was made for man and not the other way around. If we don’t rest, we fall into the trap of thinking that it is our own doing and energy that makes things happen. God wants us to trust him enough with our work and remember that he is the Creator and sustainer of life, not us. He is the source and everything else is only a resource. Rest from our Heavenly Father renews not just our bodies, but it replenishes our souls.

The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Isaiah 58:11

God made living things to go through cycles of rest and dormancy. Plants harvest only in certain seasons, many animals hibernate during certain seasons, and we even turn off machines at certain times so that they can rest. So, rest is important for all things. Without rest we become overworked, weary, and drained. Without rest, we cannot perform our best work. So just as there is a time to work, there is also a time to rest, even a time to simply be silent.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:…. Ecclesiastes 3:1

Naturally when we sleep, we give ourselves times to recover prevent injuries, and improve performance. Rest helps support a healthy immune system, manage stress levels, and lowers blood pressure, according to an article by Auckland Physiotherapy.

When God referred to the Sabbath day, he called it holy. Holy in the since that we would both cease work and engage in worship to the Father. While a lot of us refer to worship as singing, dancing, and spending time in the house of God, and this is a part of it, worship also entails more. We worship God by admiring his goodness, honoring his holiness, and submitting to his grace and mercies. We can find and experience Sabbath rest by loving our neighbor, corporate worship in church, or simply taking a walk admiring God’s creation.

God knows that true worship will bring restoration. In a posture of worship, our souls are refreshed, and we experience the goodness of God. His goodness renews us and in his presence, we find strength.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:29-31

So while slowing down can feel counter-cultural, we know that we are called to a different lifestyle. During our rest, God is able to pour into our emptiness. How can you fill a glass, when the glass keeps moving?How can we have surrendered hands for God, when our hands are always full with other work. God doesn’t want our hands, he wants our heart! We were created to worship. It is the way we spend time with our Heavenly Father.

So we must be intentional about rest. Intentional about ceasing work and seeking God in our worship, not because we have an agenda, but because we want to hear God’s agenda. For me that looks like setting side time each day to meet with God in the morning and before bed. I also try not to pack my schedule so tight that there is no room for God to have his way. I have set aside Sundays for no work and for communing with the Heavenly Father. I am also obedient in seasons where God tells me to put something down, not because it’s easy, but because it is in obedience, that God covers us.

While sometimes a nice vacation is good to escape the hustle and bustle of life, true rest requires unhurried time with our Heavenly Father.

How will you set aside time for Sabbath rest?

🤎