Rest is Biblical

Whenever I am feeling overwhelmed or heavily burdened by the worries of the world, I bring my thoughts back to Jesus.  He is the ultimate model of how we are called to live our lives - not only in the things that we might consider 'big' but also in the small, everyday rhythms whose sum total equates to our time on Earth.

Jesus walked slowly.  He was not in a rush and yet, always reached His destination on time.  He was pulled in many directions by people seeking healing, restoration and hope - yet He never failed to wake early enough to share undivided time with the Father.

In our rush to 'get it all done' we side-step the one ingredient which will actually carry us into success - resting in the presence of God.  This is a very counter-cultural habit to acquire and practice.  As mothers especially, our parenting accolades are so often awarded in accordance with our productivity; how many freezer meals we prepared while the baby was napping, managing to work a four-hour shift and still make it to school pick-up right on the bell, staying awake long enough to meal-plan the next month's worth of dinners - 

But at what cost?  And who does this level of madness truly serve?

Rest should not be the one thing we do 'when everything else gets done'.  This is a lie that the enemy has used to keep us chained in an attempt to distract us with busy-ness.  Because in the seat of busy-ness, the whispers of God become faint.

As I have grown in my Faith, I have felt the call of the Lord bringing me back to a place of stillness.  On a practical level, this has quite literally turned my world upside-down.  On a spiritual level, it has opened up a deep connection with the Father which has allowed me to undoubtedly hear His instructions for His purpose for my life.

God commands us to rest.  If He did not perceive it to be of utmost importance, He would not have done it Himself on the seventh day of Creation.  If rest carried no weight in the Kingdom, Jesus would not have modelled it so perfectly.

When we remove the cloak of shame that tells us that rest somehow equates to laziness or lack of productivity or unsuccess or failure and when we replace this with the undeniable Truth of God's grace, it is in this space that we are invited into intimacy with the Father.

With Love and Blessings,

Natalie x

Upcoming Post: Practical Wisdom for Daily Biblical Rest