Category: Faith and Spiritual Growth

What does rest even mean? It seems that we are always going and the sheer concept of rest has been lost in today’s society. I’ve often found it hard to differentiate the difference between rest and slothfulness because “resting” makes me suddenly feel like I’m in danger of being lazy. Yikes!

Can you relate?

The pace in which we feel we must live greatly impacts the perception of our ability to rest.

Merriam-Webster defines rest as:

1. repose, sleep
   • specifically : a bodily state characterized by minimal functional and metabolic activities
2. • freedom from activity or labor
   • state of motionlessness or inactivity
   • the repose of death

Here’s the deal. We are not robots. We were created to rest. Our bodies and souls need it. We require it to function at our best in fact.

You cannot go without it.

So, taking the time the you need to rest adequately for your body is imperative.

God did not build into the calendar week a Sabbath for us to push through and do work. He did not build into the rhythm of each 24 hour cycle a period of night for continued work. He built these cycles for our bodies to rest. He considered it important enough to establish it at the beginning of creation for a reason.

So, let’s dive in and figure out how to biblically balance our need to work and to rest.

What is Biblical Rest?

Sabbath (originating from Shabbat) literally means rest and as I’ve already mentioned it, it most often refers to the 7th day of the week in which God rested after creating the heavens and the earth.

It is the day we stop work and worship God. Christians traditionally keep Sunday as a weekly “day of rest”, commemorating the Resurrection of Jesus which took place on Sunday.

When to observe Sabbath has become a controversial topic even amongst Christians. Discussing these challenges and differences is not the point of this article.

Rather, the observance of Sabbath is an important biblical practice that is God given and something we should take into account as important to our spiritual life and health.

God invites us to rest throughout scripture and to find our rest in Him. (e.g., Matthew 11:28-30, Psalm 23) that highlight God’s invitation to rest.

Biblical rest differs from mere physical rest.

Finding Rest in God

There are emotional and spiritual benefits of resting especially when we find our rest in God. I just love what Hebrews 4:10 says about rest.

“For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.”

You see, I’ve spent many restless nights up without sleep and my failure to bring my anxiety and stress to God has kept me up. We’re able to reduce our anxiety and stress and finally sleep when we actually bring our burdens to Jesus as He invites us to in Matthew 11:28.

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”

What is so difficult about this is we must bring our burden’s to Jesus. We must intentionally do this ourselves. It requires us to recognize what is going on and to humble ourselves and hand it over to God

So, if you can’t see the correlation between your physical rest and spiritual rest. I hope you can now. They are directly related. You may never find true rest until you find your rest in the Lord. You must intentionally bring all that you have going on. Every sin, every burden, and lay them at His feet. Your body has this way of releasing the stress and anxieties that come with attempting to control it all and when they are in His hands… you will feel the release your body has been longing for.

Steps to Find Rest in God

You must Setting Aside Time for God

Commit to a daily quiet time and prayer.

Listen, read, and meditate on scripture, journal.

Create a Restful Environment

An environment with a lot of distraction, TV on, and lights bright is not what creates rest. Consider how nature sparks rest day in and day out. How the insects even follow the rhythms. Create a space and time to mirror this.

Unplug the technology, put down the devices and phones. Pick up an old fashion paper printed bible.

Embrace and Practice Spiritual Disciplines

Some of the practices such as fasting help us get in touch with these natural rhythms. Consider how fasting, solitude, and musical worship alone can prepare your heart for the deeper rest you long for.

Consider the spiritual disciplines.

Obstacles to Rest

Our triggers will have their way of keeping us from doing the things we ought for ourselves. Feelings of guilt and shame have often kept me from doing the things including rest. So, processing your emotions in the presence of God might very well be the first steps into the rest that you need. Recognizing this and then surrendering it may be the freedom you truly need

You will need to learn and recognize these patterns in your life and unpack the coping mechanisms that are not serving you well. Take the time and process them with a mentor or coach.

In today’s fast-paced world, finding rest can feel almost impossible. But rest is not a luxury—it’s a necessity, designed by God for our bodies and souls to function at their best. It’s more than just physical sleep; it’s an invitation to place our burdens before God and experience peace in His presence.

As you reflect on your own patterns of rest, consider this: True rest is found when we intentionally set aside time for God and allow Him to renew our hearts. When we practice spiritual disciplines and create environments that encourage rest, we align ourselves with the rhythms God intended for us.

So, are you ready to take that step toward biblical rest? I encourage you to start by making small changes—set aside time each day for prayer, unplug from distractions, and begin to create an environment where rest can thrive. Remember, you don’t have to carry your burdens alone. Lay them at God’s feet and discover the true rest your body, mind, and soul have been longing for.

Let’s start this journey together—find your rest in Him today.

I’ve found myself experiencing God’s timing with a whole new perspective after the birth of our first child.

It hit me as I peered into this little baby’s eyes that would not have been born, if I had not walked the road I had walked before her Mom and I had met.

It dawned on me that if we had waited just one more month to get married, we would never have met this precious child.

God’s timing is a little like that. Perfect in every way to bring about the perfect result He has designed for our lives and His glory.

It should leave us awe struck and humble.

Ponder all of the moments in time that things happen and that things don’t happen for you?

Have you walked through a rough season wondering, “Where are you God?”

Have you experienced the timing of God that has left you in awe of His love and involvement in our lives?

The hard ones seem to never end and God often feels distant and uninterested in our cries for answers.

While you’re in it. Nothing provides relief and words are meaningless. Come out of it with your faith intact and you can’t find the words to describe it, but you know and see God’s patient presence throughout your journey.

When I think of God’s timing I’m often reminded of Job.

Job was at the mercy of God’s timing.

It was made clear that God would give and take away at his own will.

Such a story should remind us of the sheer journey we could take in spite of our righteousness. We will face trials no matter how hard we try to avoid them. We will be met with many of life’s challenges.

God’s timing is often beyond our comprehension because of the work of God’s hand in the world.

It may not be until we meet Him face to face that our understanding comes to fruition.

We may wrestle month over month, year over year, to understand God’s timing and never find an answer. What we must do is come to an understanding of the infinitely more valuable wisdom God offers in his timing over our own design.

This is hard to reconcile in our journey sometimes as we seek resolution and healing in our experiences. Starting from a place that God is supremely just and loving and his timing is perfect no matter the circumstance is crucial to our journey of healing and restoration.

What has made the most impact in my life is working through my beliefs and my relationship with God by seeking counsel from a trusted mentor and counselor.

May you find peace in God’s timing and ultimately worship Him for His perfect will and timing in your life.

Just yesterday I was speaking with my wife about how we are called to live with an eternal perspective. It’s so hard to do because we have so many needs and wants that we have developed in our present moment, but also things we expect to accomplish for ourselves that date back to our childhood. All the hopes and dreams we developed as we anticipated adulthood. Our present moment is certainly important but the hard truth is that we should daily weigh it against the eternal purposes God has for our lives.

That is what brings us to the passage where we find the idea of “walking” by faith and not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5: 6-10

The greater context that Paul is teaching us in this passage is set within living with the perspective of our heavenly homes and now our earthly one. The imagery of our current earthly bodies resemble a temporary tent compared to our heavenly bodies that are build not by the hands of man. Paul is preparing us for this walk we are called to live in our earthly bodies by setting the stage for the differences we must always keep in mind between the life we are to live through all of the heartache and challenges we face on this earth.

2 Corinthians 5:6-10 says:

⁶ So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, ⁷ for we walk by faith, not by sight. ⁸ Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. ⁹ So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

To walk by Faith means to keep in perspective our end destination in eternity. We may not see how things will pan out, but we live in a trust of the Lord that all things are working together for our final eternal destination. We are a people of good courage. Though we would rather be with the Lord than away from Him. We know we will return to Him.

We believe every detail and every facet of our world has been orchestrated by God and that one day we will appear before Him and hope to hear the resounding, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

Now, here is the question. What do you think it will take for you to keep this perspective every day? Think back to the last few days, weeks, months? How challenging has it been to walk by faith and not by sight?

What has fogged your vision or path forward and has kept you distracted from the calling God has on your life?

Ponder these things and take a moment to reflect in writing out your thoughts.

Need help processing your journey? We are here to come along side you as you seek His hand. Let us know how we can serve you.