Finding Rest Part I

Make Rest Your Friend

Rest—to relax, pause, breathe, and be at ease.

Rest is a gift that we too easily tend to push aside. But life without rest is not sustainable. Rest refreshes our bodies, giving us the energy we need to honor God and to love others. Learning to practice rest is a spiritual discipline that helps you enjoy God’s presence and realign your priorities.

God Himself modeled rest for us from the very beginning. Immediately after He finished creating the universe—and everything in it—he gave Himself a day to look back on the goodness of all the work that He had just completed.

Reflect: When was the last time you slowed down, unplugged, and relaxed? Stop. Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and think back over your last few days.

*Genesis 2:2-3

On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.

*Matthew 11:28-30

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”