Rest – Because We Must

Think back on all your birthdays, Christmases, and celebrations. What is the best gift you have ever received? For my wife and me it was one from her parents: they would watch our children for one week every year. As young parents raising three children, developing careers, involved in church and trying to keep our relationship growing, that promise of a week was a gift of life.

What may surprise some, is that my in-laws were modeling our heavenly Father:

And he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. - Mark 2:27 

Have you ever stopped to consider to what lengths God has gone to give us rest?

And God made the two great lights - the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night - and the stars. - Genesis 1:16

For those who get the advised eight hours of sleep, that means 1/3 of our life we are unproductive, undefended, immobile, unresponsive, comatose. Is that humbling or what?  

So how is “Rest” a discipline, a habit of grace? Because we fight it!

Whether for fear or pride or insecurity or self worth, we refuse rather than receive the gift of rest.

If this is an area you struggle in, may I recommend one book? It’s great because it’s small, personal, and to the point: “Zeal without Burnout” by Christopher Ash. I even have six extra copies I’d be glad to give to whoever contacts me at swyzga@covlife.org.

I believe Mr. Ash nails the heart of the matter with four chapter headings:
• We Need Sleep - and God does not
• We Need Sabbath Rests - and God does not
• We Need Friends - and God does not
• We Need Inward Renewal - and God does not

In a word, we are not God. We may fight that truth. The book is littered with first hand stories of ‘successful’ people who did, until they crashed... hard.

Or we may discipline ourselves to receive - receive freely, receive gladly, and receive often from a Father who delights to give.