Scenario – you have a day off work. What do you do? Do you have plans to fill in the day? Do you feel like you need to use your time wisely? Running errands maybe or catching up on things to do?

When was the last time you had a day for yourself, and you did nothing? You just rested.

Or have you ever asked someone how they are doing and received the quick response, “Busy!”? Sadly, being busy has become a status symbol in our society, and many people equate being busy with feeling important. 

As a society we have forgotten how to rest. Societal values are in the things we do. We are defined by our work, the hobbies we choose to participate in, sport, and the list goes on.

We struggle to rest because rest is not our priority, because rest cannot measure our worth.

However, rest really is one of the most important things you can do to thrive in the world.
In the beginning, God made rest. It is a beautiful gift God created for His beloved children because He knew we needed it.

God desires rest for us because it does not come naturally to us.
To rest, we must trust that God will take care of things for us. We must trust that, if we take a day off, the world will not stop turning!

In Matthew 11 Jesus says “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest … Let me teach you … and you will find rest for your souls.”

Jesus doesn’t just offer us rest; he models it for us!

He took time to be alone with God so that he could:
Hear God’s voice
Seek God’s direction and
Rest in God’s presence.

We too can follow Jesus’ example and rest in God’s presence so we can be refreshed, restored, renewed.

Sandee Batelic