I am a big believer in taking rest days. Recently a friend reminded me of why we need rest days, and to not run around on empty. It inspired me to dig out some notes I had from a message I shared last year. It was a fresh reminder to me and I hope it is an encouragement to you also.
I was out leading on a trip with a group of young people and it was a particularly long day. We had been out either canoeing or hiking and we had arrived at our campsite. We had a big feed, who knows after a long day hiking so long as it’s hot it doesn’t matter what you eat, it always tasted so good? We’d had our evening meeting and sorted our action plan for the following day.
My normal procedure would be climb into my tent, take my boots off, put something in my boots so creepy crawlies didn’t make a home in them over night, and then sort out my thermals before crawling into my sleeping bag. I’d pray before winding down and slipping off to sleep. I could sleep through girls talking and I wouldn’t wake unless it rained or something stood out that would effect the safety of the group.
Well this one night, I woke up. I was freezing which was not normal as I had a warm sleeping bag. Then as I was aware of my surroundings I realised I was not fully in my tent, my head was on my pillow, but my body was outside my tent and my boots were still on; and I was lying exposed to the elements! I’d been that exhausted that my head hit the pillow and that was it!
I’d like to share some thoughts on rest. It is something God has been speaking to me about and I hope it will encourage you also.
To make it fun, some thoughts spelling out the word: REST.
R is for Rest
Cease work or movement in order to relax, sleep, or recover strength… Allow to be inactive in order to regain strength or health.
Stop being so busy. It is such a challenge today as we have so many commitments, responsibilities, family, church, work and play.
But, this was totally God’s idea. The Sabbath. He lead by example.
Genesis 2:1-3
1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. 2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 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.
Otherwise known as sit.
Adopt or be in a position in which one’s weight is supported by one’s buttocks rather than one’s feet and one’s back is upright.
Personally I don’t sit still naturally. I need to be consistently moving. If I stop I sleep. I love challenges to overcome. But learning to sit is a new challenge.
Abseiling down a rock face involves sitting in a harness. You walk backwards over the cliff face and you start to descend. If you don’t trust the person sending you down, the anchors and don’t put all your weight in the rope it becomes slack. When you finally build up the courage to rest and sit back then there is a small fall as the slack leaves the rope and becomes tight. Then you may proceed to have your feet on the wall and continue on the descent. So to rest when abseiling involves putting all your weight in the harness with confidence in the anchors.
I have also been reading Watchman Nee’s book on ‘Sit, Walk, Stand’. I am challenged at the concept of sit.
The work that Jesus did at the cross is all about Him. It isn’t all about what I need to do, but all about what Jesus has already done.
We are children of God. It is not something we need to do, or strive to achieve, it simply is fact. Through the work Jesus did for us on the cross, it is finished.
A quote from the book:
’No Christian experience begins with walking but always with a definite sitting down. The secret of deliverance from sin is not to do something but to rest on what God has done.’
I was brought up to always be doing. Mum never sat still, was always ironing, washing, cleaning, doing. To the extent that I would feel guilty if I was sitting down for too long. But, rest is ok.
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Matt 11:25-30. Jesus’ burden is light.
An awesome quote from Noel Kesby, “Be a daughter before doing the work of a daughter.”
We need to take time out to rest.
E is for Energise
Give vitality and enthusiasm to.
I was inspired by the Podcast from Ps Jack Hanes about Sharpening the Axe. You can’t keeping working and working without stopping to sharpen the axe. If you don’t you will need to work harder with more effort as the axe becomes blunt. You have to stop and sharpen the axe. It takes time as you can’t cut and sharpen at the same time. But once sharp again away you go with less effort and more efficiency.
Isaiah 40:31
But they who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength. They will mount up on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.
Psalm 42:1
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.
It is so encouraging to be around passionate people who are enthusiastic about the things of God. The more you spend with someone the more like them you become. Enthusiasm is contagious.
The joy of the Lord is your strength. (Nehemiah 8:10)
Rest gives us the energy and the strength to keep going. It fills up our energy tanks so we have something to draw from again, like filling up the car with fuel or cash in the bank to draw from. Rest energises us.
S is for Still
I was planning on a day hanging out with God for my birthday last year, but it ended up being busy. A meeting in the morning for breakfast and then dashing off for lunch with a friend. I ended up booking in a Skype session with my family for the afternoon, and plans to be out for dinner. It was a busy day really. On my way to lunch God asked me, “When are you going to make time to spend with Me?”
May I encourage you to set aside time for God. On purpose and special time. Book it in your diary. Something significant and on purpose. Not something else to fit into your day, but something to invest in. Your relationship with God is so important.
Sitting requires being still. If you are like me the moment I do this, thoughts can run wild my mind flicks to fast forward and considers all the things that need my immediate attention.
But it is in this place of quiet that we encounter God. We don’t have to strive or work, but relax in our identity in Christ. For the work He has done at the cross. Something we don’t need to earn or strive for his attention.
Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)
Rest is being still. But still isn’t always stopping. It’s an awareness of God that is louder than everything else. Let the Holy Spirit be the most powerful voice in your life.
T is for Train
Teach a particular skill or type of behaviour through sustained practise and instruction…
We need to practise rest. I’m not talking about getting lazy, but knowing when to stop and rest. Like a muscle, the more you use it the stronger it becomes.
While on holidays I sat. It took me all day but eventually I got there. Suddenly the noise stopped, singing ceased in my head and I wasn’t thinking about what I needed to do or pray for. I heard the burning of the wood in the fire beside me.
On the weekend I shared around Communion about sitting. We read the story of Mary and Martha. Let’s check it out in Luke 10:38-42.
At the Home of Martha and Mary
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things,42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Being is more important than doing.
Our communion with God needs to be daily. We need to invest daily in our intimacy with God.
We need to practise the art of resting.
Conclusion
Rest allows us to take time out and stop. Rest empowers us to be filled with more energy to keep going. Rest involves being still. Rest is something we train for our own well being but also to grow in our intimacy with God. Rest takes training, persistence and practise.
Rest is our friend.
Deb Robison 