Rest is something so
elusive in today’s society. People pay thousands of dollars to go on vacations
or get massages. Sleeping pills are among the top most-abused drugs in the
country. We long for the weekend, but often fail to find rest there as we’ve
packed our schedule with things to do, chores to complete, and people to see.
Our society is traveling along at the speed of light and we are weary,
depressed, and anxious people because of it.
Photo Credit: http://www.jcsnotebook.org/rest-in-god/
Hebrews 4 reminds us that even the God of the
Universe, the All-Powerful, the Almighty took a day to rest and urges us to
enter into rest with Him. However, many of us misinterpret what “rest” is and
what it looks like. Some of us see rest as falling into bed at the end of a
long day to try and squeeze in a few hours of sleep before we get up to begin
the routine again. Some of us view rest as procrastination---holding off on the
things that require effort until we absolutely have no choice but to face them.
Still others view rest as escaping into some form of entertainment—a good book,
a video game, a social media site. However, all of these things leave us
unfulfilled and weary.
All of this reminded me
of another passage. I remember our Savior’s words when he said “Come to me, all
who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). It
seems to me that true rest requires a choice and an action on our part. We must
first go to Jesus. We must go to him, quiet ourselves, and trade our burdens,
worries, and concerns for the lighter load he offers. He asks that we listen to
him and learn from him and promises that he is gentle and humble-hearted. In this we will find rest for our very
souls. We may be able to recharge our physical bodies in a variety of ways, but
our spirits will wither and buckle under the heavy loads this world places upon
us unless we remember to rest in Christ.
So let us make that
choice today. Let us remind ourselves not only of Christ’s sacrifice, but his
promises. Rest requires that we go to Him and choose his way over ours. Our
weary souls will find the peace they long for only when they are brought back
into communion with God, through Christ, and in the Holy Spirit.
Spend some time with the Peacegiver. Resting in Peace should not be limited to tombstones and obituaries.
