Rest: A Spiritual Practice

By Lisa Allen, Publication Specialist at Cross & Crown

Are you cutting corners on rest? I’ve been guilty of excessive busy work because I was making the “most” of my time. So, I know how you feel. Several years ago, when I was running a direct mail company with tight deadlines, I fell into exhaustion. I’ll never forget that desperate moment when I cried out to God in the local Pizza Inn parking lot. “Lord, I’m so tired. It’s all so much right now, help.”

I went in and picked up my order and returned to my vehicle. Starting the engine and putting it in reverse to back out of the parking space, I realized something was wrong. I heard a noise and I was unable to steer, and my truck had to be towed. I was without a vehicle for three days. At first, I was angry. I had deadlines and advertisers to meet, and this was not in the plan. Or was it? Didn’t I cry out to God? Yes, I did.

In those three days I had no other choice but to rest, at least more than usual. I was forced to slow down. In Psalm 37:7 It says rest and wait patiently for the Lord to speak to you, to communicate with you. If our hands are so busy doing, if we are continually busy, we’re not going to be open to hearing God as well as we should. If God has provided us everything, He owns our time, too. Psalm 121:4 tells us that God never sleeps. So, if He’s always watching, why am I afraid to rest in the fact that He is sovereign and the sun will not harm me by day and the moon shall not by night.

Something I learned over those three days while standing still, only God gets His to do list done every day. When we take time to rest, the demands of the world will get a little quieter as His voice becomes clearer and we have ears that hear. Resting in that time also taught me it requires trusting that He knows what He’s doing.

You may be wondering if I worked out the deadlines and the work for that week. The truth is I can’t recall, because what He showed me during that time was worth more than my problem. I wouldn’t trade those three days without a vehicle for anything. That was one moment in time that God stepped in and showed me a valuable lesson – He’s got it covered.

Life can get busy and we all fall into the trap of overextending and pushing the limit on our calendars. Matthew 11:26 – 30 is a great reminder “Come to me, and I will give you rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

I read an article about why an untrained ox is yoked with an older trained ox. The younger one learns from the older. A trained ox may pull up to 5.000 pounds. But an untrained ox will only pull up to 2,000 pounds. Over time the untrained ox and the trained one begin to walk step in step. Together they can pull more than they can apart. As much as 15,000 pounds.

We might can do a little, but with Him we can do so much more. I’m thankful for those three days and that He truly does make our load bearable. He knows what He’s doing. We should find rest in that alone.