Rest, Don’t Be in a Hurry

In my last blog post I mentioned how it is okay to not be okay and that we as Christians need to remind others of this important message while finding contentment through self-reflection of who we are in Jesus. I have also briefly touched on the idea of rest in another blog post, referencing in scripture when Jesus was resting, and the disciples urged him to perform more healings, yet Jesus informed his followers to take their belongings and head in a different direction. What made me think of this is a song I’ve been listening to recently, titled “Not in a Hurry” by Will Reagan. The song talks about being able to slow down and take things at a pace that allows for that genuine connection with Jesus. The chorus phrases this so beautifully:

I'm not in a hurry When it comes to Your spirit When it comes to Your presence When it comes to Your voice I'm learning to listen Just to rest in Your nearness I'm starting to notice You are speaking

When I listen to these words, I can’t help but think of all the chaos not only in this world but the trials and tribulations that all of us encounter in our everyday lives. We would all like to stop and rest yet many of us admit that we just can’t seem to find the time. I want to offer a different perspective and postulate that we can indeed find the time if we seek and follow the desire to do so. Rest is not only essential and helpful, as scientific evidence shows the importance and health benefits of proper sleep & rest, however rest is also holy (Matthew 11:28-30; Genesis 2:2-3; Isaiah 14:3-4; Mark 6:31). Bob Goff wrote to me in an email reply one time where I asked him about spiritual burnout. “Get some rest, friend. It’s holy.  That’s what I’ve been doing. Hope that helps.” Bob’s advice is not only appropriate, but it served as a reminder to me of when I heard a sermon at church where the pastor discussed the significance of spiritual burnout if we overwork ourselves. Sometimes we receive messages telling us to go and do significant, extraordinary and extravagant acts to fulfill our faith in Christ which is incredibly important. Yet we also can remain the most faithful to God when we are simply present with those around us.

If we focus on the feelings of the sum, then sometimes we tend to neglect the feelings and experiences of the parts that make up the whole. With this in mind, not only should you focus on being present with others, but you should also concentrate on being present with yourself. When we all feel the toll and turmoil of life, there is a storm of uncertainty as to what we could experience. What helps through the coping process is the desire to be heard and understood, for someone to simply listen. This ties into another point that I made in a similar post about how Christ calls us to be good listeners and to start by inviting people to have a place at the table. I cannot explain enough how those who have taken the time to listen to my difficulties have helped shape the person that I am. These people are ones who I not only call brothers & sisters in Christ or family members, but they are my friends. Surrounding yourself with friends while pursuing the goal of complete rest may just be the next step to overcoming or preventing that spiritual burnout, which that burnout is the very feeling that causes us to turn away from God in pure exhaustion and creates a numbing feeling in our very hearts.

The way forward is the way of Jesus and even the divine Son of God took time for himself, to say yes to himself by saying no to other things, which in turn allowed him to become the very servant leader that he swore to be. In order to be at our best, feel our best, and act our best, we need to be Christ-oriented, love-based and justice-minded. This cannot be done in a state of exhaustion but rather in a state of pure intentionality and heartfelt desire. My friends, surround yourself with rest and with people who matter. Just rest in that nearness.

"Friends are those rare people who ask how we are, and then wait to hear the answer." - Ed Cunningham

“Rest time is not waste time. It is economy to gather fresh strength… It is wisdom to take occasional furlough. In the long run, we shall do more by sometimes doing less.” - Charles Spurgeon