REST IN GOD

Winter is not my favourite season. I don’t mind the cold so much, but I dislike that the grey skies that dampen my spirit. I can remember plenty of childhood days when winters were arctic, but the skies were blue. I still find my mood lifts when I see a slither of blue sky, with the sun peeping through. During dark, dreary days, I will happily stand with my face towards the sun drawing in its warmth. Those moments bring both pleasure and joy in a small way.

It’s easy to overlook the small, enjoyable things in a busy world where there is a non-stop flow of information from multiple sources. It can be so hard to withdraw to a place of rest and solitude. In fact, it is almost unthinkable that you could allow yourself to sit for 10 minutes in total silence and possibly even allow your mind to simply wander. Yet, how profoundly important this is. Research determines that it is during moments of quiet that we process the information that our brain has absorbed while consolidating memories. Our brain reorganises things, our emotions are regulated and imagination can take over. Put simply, we find a state of rest that is beneficial to who we are.

God never created us with the expectation that we would be people who are constantly on the go. In fact, God factors both celebration and rest as important parts of life. God himself modelled this rest on the seventh day and in Mark 6:31 it states, “Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’” At an even deeper level, rest is found in Jesus, as he says in Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Rest is so very important, not just physical rest, but the ability to simply unplug from the world’s constant flow of information, without feeling guilty. My challenge to you today is to ask yourself, ‘When did I last stop and allow myself to enjoy rest?’ (and I’m not talking going to bed at night). Maybe it’s time to find a simple quiet moment where everything is taken down a notch. If you haven’t been there for a while, can I encourage you to consider it? And if your burdens are incredibly heavy, consider giving them to Jesus who offers you a rest that goes far beyond this.