Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Exodus 20:8
Rest is hard sometimes. I am constantly noticing this struggle around us. I have personally struggled really badly with resting this year. As believers in Jesus, we are to submit to God in our work and in our rest. As I grow, I am realizing that I have “done my best” to submit my work to God rather than submit to God in my work. We know our best isn’t good enough. Our righteousness is like filthy rags, right? What we think is right, what we think is good is not necessarily what God declares right and good. So often we commit personal best to do what we perceive our responsibilities to be, in our own strength. No wonder we find ourselves in weird cycles of unpunctuated work, exhaustion, and numbing, feeling like we are failing! Scripture clearly tells us to trust in the Lord and in the power of HIS might (Ephesians 6:10), not ours. We believe that our work is unto the Lord, for this glory. However, I think a nasty lie, a perversion of this truth, can sometimes slip into our minds, leading us to believe that we must “work for the Lord”, for His approval, for His pleasure, and for our satisfaction. Our “sacrifices” of postponing rest, forgoing stillness, and solitude are not just unhealthy; they do not glorify God.
Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy. There is an entire commandment dedicated to rest. Our Father takes rest very seriously. Just as we do not get to determine what constitutes good, profitable work; we do not get to define rest. What rest looks like for us as citizens of the Kingdom of God, collectively and individually, is dictated by the King. Set the day apart! It is sacred! God declares it so.
We were challenged in this week’s sermon to ask God a pertinent question when seeking Him about our calling: What are You doing? How can I help? We don't know what we are supposed to be doing with our lives, what work is truly right and good and profitable, glorifying God, until we seek the Lord. In the same way, we don’t know good rest unless we are directed by Him and obey His instruction.
The Israelites had a Sabbath issue. In Isaiah 58, God graciously tells them His heart for Sabbath and for service to others to redirect them from ritual and tradition to Glory and Holiness. This issue keeps coming up for me too. Sabbath is a discipline yet to be formed in me. If I am completely honest, I am becoming frustrated with myself. The past month I have been focused on a growing to-do list, people and projects vying for my attention and effort. People are in need of love and support. The projects need to get done. I firmly believe that I have been led by God to help and do. Where I have not been led by the Lord is in how to recover and refresh from that work. Most times I just keep it moving because, you know, life is “lifeing”. Our Creator worked to wield the universe into existence by His Word then rested on purpose. God is good. Everything God does is good. God is perfect. Everything God does is perfect. God is glorious. Everything God does is glorious. God RESTED. Rest is good and glorifying to God when it is led and informed by the Glorious. I encourage you to join me in inquiring of the Lord about our rest. I have crashed and burned multiple times this year already because I didn’t do this. Thankfully, I only crashed this week (no burn). I’m not so quick to pick up the pieces this time, though. I am not running to sweep up the mess and resume my regularly scheduled programming. I am being as still as I can, even asking God: Is this stillness still enough? Am I quiet enough? Is my environment quiet enough? What needs to be turned off, shut down? I am desperate to obey because disobedience is causing suffering I don’t think God intends.
God commands rest. I am now, while writing this, realizing that because God commands rest, rest should be planned and guilt free. Rest from holding and juggling all the things, carrying the mental load of households and organizations; rest from mindless scrolling and Netflix; rest from jumping from one crisis to the next. The practice of Sabbath is of God and is done to the glory of God. Inquire of the Lord and Rest well, friends.
—Anyah E. R. White
