Discovering Rest

“But, I’m not tired!” I said in between yawns as I tried to convince my mother that I did not need a nap. I was around five years old, and mom told me that I had to take a nap. Resting seemed such a waste of time, and my playing was so engaging. I could have so much more time for friends and my play projects if my mom did not insist on naps. She did not understand.

Today, I wish someone would tell me it is time to take a nap. The stresses of life, the never-ending to-do list, and the expectations of those around me are exhausting. Sometimes the problems press in so close that I lose the ability to see the big picture. Life turns into a perpetual grind, and I realize it is time to step back, take care of myself, and put things back into perspective.

Living in the Rocky Mountains, I continuously have the opportunity to put into practice the words of Psalm 121:1-2, “I will lift up my eyes unto the hills — From whence cometh my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.” (NKJV) The mountains around me reveal the majesty of the creation surrounding me and the power of the Creator.

There seem to be three general areas of rest, physical rest, mental rest, and spiritual rest. Obtaining the correct type and amount of rest in each sphere is essential for efficient functioning.

We are all familiar with sleep as rest. There comes that point when we can no longer function until we spend time sleeping. Sleep provides us with physical rest. The physical rest gives us the strength to carry out whatever tasks we need to do each day. Sometimes physical rest will open the way for us to obtain mental and spiritual rest.

Helping my children understand when they are tired can be difficult. Many times I have told one of my children to get some sleep, and we will discuss the matter in the morning. Their tired, sleepy state makes it almost impossible for them to understand what I am trying to explain to them. The next morning when they are well-rested, they will usually be able to grasp what I am saying.

Some would call the second type of rest, self-care. I have found that time spent in the forest is refreshing for my mind. While the hike up the mountain may be physically tiring, the mental renewal makes it well worth the effort. Climbing mountains is not what everyone prefers; therefore, self-care will vary from person to person. One person will prefer the beach, another will desire the plains, and I love the mountains. Maybe you prefer a quiet sunset or perhaps some handcraft. The point of self-care is to allow mental renewal. This renewal of the mind enables the proper perspective and correct positioning of priorities.

I believe that it is the third type of rest that Jesus is speaking of in Matthew 11:28 when He offers rest to those who are weary and have many burdens. Jesus seems to be speaking of spiritual rest. I have noticed that when we are spiritually ill at ease and unrested, we seem to have increased difficulty obtaining the other types of rest as well. When we have placed our faith and trust in God, He provides that rest for our spirit that enables our minds to be renewed in periods of self-care and helps us to obtain physical rest when we sleep.

These types of rest are intertwined and often rely on each other for the others to happen. 1 Kings 19 gives us an example of this interdependence of the kinds of rest. This chapter contains the story of Elijah as he flees from Queen Jezebel. In the preceding section, Elijah had shown his nation God’s incredible power and ability to answer prayer. The Queen had threatened to kill him because of the activities of the day. Elijah hurriedly left the area, and the physical demands of the previous chapter and his rapid evacuation depleted his physical reserves. In his exhausted state, he requested that God would allow him to die. Instead, God allowed him to fall asleep under a juniper tree. After Elijah slept for a while, God sent an angel to awaken him, give him food to eat, and water to drink. Then God allowed him to go back to sleep. It was after this physical rest that God gave him the assignment of going to a place called Horeb. God knew that Elijah was so exhausted that he had to have physical rest to enable him to receive mental and spiritual rest. It was this physical rest that enabled Elijah to go to where he could obtain the mental and spiritual rest that he needed so that he could continue his work.

I have served as a pastor and know that sometimes the most spiritual activity we can do is to get physical rest. Resting can put us in a position to receive that mental and spiritual renewal we need. I have difficulty resting when I can see so many things that are still uncompleted. I see so many unfilled positions, yet I must trust God to carry out His plan.

Many years ago, I was the pastor of a church and facing all the stresses that a pastor faces typically. I was also trying to complete some improvements to the property that the church and parsonage were on. One of those improvements included hand digging a ditch to put in an electrical conduit. While digging the trench, I began to feel unwell physically. I ended up hospitalized for a day or two.

An older gentleman was my roommate in the hospital. We were conversing one day, and he found out what had caused my hospital stay. He looked at me and gave me the following advice, “If God wants that ditch dug, He will get it dug without you.” This simple advice helped me realize that I did not have to do everything. I did not have to be a workaholic to accomplish God’s plan. I am unable to force God’s plan to happen, yet if it is God’s plan, nothing can prevent it from happening. God wants me to rest in Him.

Failure to allow myself to rest is an indirect way of saying that I do not trust God. It indicates I do not believe He can control the events and outcomes in my life. Resting in God’s shadow is not a matter that I refuse to take any action or refuse to work. Instead, it is that I rest in God’s shadow awaiting instruction from Him and then take action that will help me to continue to live in His shadow. Living in God’s shadow enables us to rest.