Rest That Matters

By Sarah Cushing

My typical mindset is that rest is a reward I earn. It’s the rest I can enjoy when the house has quieted down, and my to-do list is scratched out and in the trash. Rest is the reward I dangle in front of myself during busy weeks in order to be as productive as I can. The rest my flesh desires quickly “gratifies” and requires little effort on my part. For example, sitting alone on the couch while watching cooking shows or a full night of uninterrupted sleep sounds restful to me. But this rest is temporary. Every week I look forward to the same fleeting rest and hope it will be enough, even while I know it won’t be.  

The reality is that true and lasting rest is not something I can earn or gift to myself as a reward. True rest comes from Jesus. The passage in Matthew 11 delivers an interesting phrase in verse 29, that those who follow Jesus, those who take on His yoke and those who learn from Him, can “find rest for your souls.” Rest from Jesus goes beyond the circumstantial rest I can control. Rest from Jesus is full of peace and contentment. A rest that gives renewed strength to keep going because I know Jesus walks beside me. While it’s not a rest that may come instantly, or even quickly, it is the kind of rest I can feel sustain me over time.

So how do I live out this knowledge and truth in my every day? In this season of life, I have learned I need to plan my rest. Planning my rest means setting aside dedicated time to focus on spending time with Jesus with specific focus on three things. One, trusting Jesus to be Lord over my time and responsibilities so that I may prioritize His to-do list. Secondly, asking Him for rest that will trump the desires of my flesh and actually make a difference in my heart and in my life. Finally, prioritizing time to be with Him and learn from Him even at the expense of a few missed cooking shows.

How can you seek lasting rest from Jesus in your everyday?