I’ve been thinking about rest a lot lately. Maybe because I’d like more of it. But this week, as I was studying and reflecting on scripture, I thought about the idea of rest in our life.
The word rest seems like the complete opposite of work. When we think of work, we think of all that we will accomplish, all the evidence we will be able to see from our labor. We even like the sense of satisfaction we feel when we see our “hard work pay off.” But rest is not unproductive, or at least, it shouldn’t be. I think there are two key things we need to remember about rest if we want to see the fruit of it in our lives. First, we need to remember that idleness is not rest.
I can sit and scroll on my phone for 30 minutes and feel just as exhausted as I did before I caught up on the news, everyone’s lives or watched 4 YouTube videos. We can probably all think of those things we do with our time that aren’t productive, but they also aren’t restful. Think of those things like empty calories. They do nothing to energize and sustain you, but we’re probably all guilty of snacking on the junk food of idleness all throughout the day… stealing a bit here and there in between tasks and responsibilities, and having no room left for a good hearty meal of actual rest.
Sincere rest will look different for all of us, but this one truth is universal:
If we truly REST, we will be renewed, reenergized, refreshed and reinvigorated to continue with our work. True rest produces within us the
fruit of peace, patience, joy and gentleness.
True rest is like the meal you sit down to, the one you’ve prepared for ahead of time. It took preparation and planning, but once it’s in front of you, you enjoy it and savor it, and you walk away from the table energized, fulfilled and content. For me, rest sometimes comes in the form of a family walk or hike, sitting with my husband on the porch on a fall afternoon. Sometimes it's an evening alone with a book I've been dying to get started. Whatever it may be, I feel its benefits deep in my soul.
What ways can you take time for productive rest in your life, rest that will renew your spirit? What are the things that truly make you feel rested? What “junk food of idleness” do you need to cut back on to make room for authentic, nourishing rest?
Share with us in the forum what brings you rest and what you need to recognize as "junk food".... https://www.bookshelfacademy.com/forum