9 So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. 10 For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. 11 So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall.
– Hebrews 4:9-11
A Special Rest
I have failed at rest more times than I can count. I have often missed the need for rest and worn myself out striving and doing and being because the world simply couldn’t continue without me. Even in the face of exhaustion, I have taken time off from work or ministry, only to go home and chase project after project. Even vacations away from the to-do list at home came with their own to-do list, the must see, must do, the must experience. A friend once challenged me with the charge that He tries to live a life he doesn’t need a vacation from, and I have pondered that quite a bit over the years.
If you read our blog or check out our posts, it doesn’t take much to conclude I love vacations, I love to travel. Water and sun especially speak to my heart. I also spent most of my childhood in Germany, and so travel to Europe invites not only great new adventures, but also trips down memory lane, a coming home if you will. When my friend challenged me to live a life that doesn’t require a vacation, I initially took that as a direct assault on my love of travel and exploring, it took me a while to realize that was not what he was saying.
Vacations, in and of themselves, are not the problem. God filled this world with so many opportunities to see His work, His beauty, His vastness. From deserts to mountains to oceans; cities to villages to abandoned places; monuments built at the hands of people, and monuments spoken into existence by God – travel, experiences, adventures, or lazy afternoons have their place and value. None of these, however, will provide the special rest God calls us to on their own.
But God is calling me to more, and He’s calling you too. To intentionally step away from our usual patterns. Whether that means actually physically relocating away from the distractions or choosing to curl up at home and ignore the to-do list, is between you and Him. But in that space He wants more than a push of the pause button, He wants more than few minutes of quiet, He definitely wants more for us than a brain numbing distraction. He’s inviting us into His presence. To lean into Him and let his breath slow ours, to let His words wash over us, His peace surround us.
I happen to do that best in water. If He grants me a trip with an ocean or a lake – great. If He opens the door to a pool or a hot-tub – that works too. A rainy day in the comfort of my home is also a rare treat, and when the weather doesn’t cooperate or travel isn’t an option, a soak in the bathtub will do. And in that space, everything else washes away. I am reminded of His beauty, His care for me. I regain perspective on my life. My world, for just a moment, is a small glimmer in the greatness of God. It is in those moments, sitting in the presence of my God who truly knows me and loves me anyway, that I find this special rest. A healing rest.
That special rest He refers to in Hebrews, that can only be found in intentionally setting everything else aside and quieting our world and in the quietness, resting in the presence of God. When I was younger, that kind of stillness was hard, I wanted to do and move and strive and achieve. Now, the physical stillness is easier (maybe too easy some days), but I still tend to fill the silence with books (in hand or audio), music, movies, TV, games on my cellphone…. Anything that distracts and entertains me.
Where do you rest like that? As you move throughout your day, your week, this season, I’d like to challenge you to find your resting place and spend some time there. Everything you are currently juggling will still be there when you return, but you will be different. God is much more concerned with our heart than our circumstances, more concerned with our relationship than our accomplishments, more concerned with who you are than what you do… I promise. Make a date, be intentional about it, and leave the to-do list at the door, He is waiting.
An Invitation For You
We’d love to invite you to your own guided retreat with Jesus with our new Journey in a Box offering:
