Rest in Peace: Not Just for the Dead

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.