God’s Rest

Everything about life finds its strength rooted in rest. That sounds counterintuitive, doesn’t it? Initially, that’s what it sounded like to me. As usual, God’s value system is completely different from ours and God’s rest is no exception. Life pulls us all over the place with responsibilities and things we’ve obligated ourselves to. People count on us, so we need to show up in many areas and in a variety of ways.

In my blog post several weeks back, (https://alifeofthrive.com/test_website/2019/11/11/rest/) I shared that God was drawing me into Him to experience His rest. I argued with Him somewhat saying, “What am I doing right now if not resting?” Of course, I was defining rest based on my current status of grief. It felt like my head was kind of coming out of the fog. I hadn’t taken on any new responsibilities. Things were quiet.

When I made the conscious decision to seek Him out in rest, I could feel something was different. A new layer of peace embraced me. I am learning that this new layer was a state of being not doing. This place of being in Christ is a foundational element of who He is and it’s the place where I operate and navigate my life on an everyday basis.

I was reminded that the first thing God did for us was to prepare all of creation and then He brought humans into existence. He did all the work and then called us into rest on the seventh day.

As I’m learning to enjoy being in Christ and not the doing that the world requires, I can see that the being comes first and the doing is born out of it. And what I do is done from a place of not feeling pressured nor do I feel like I need to have all the answers. I have more clarity, and the people around me get the overflow of my experiencing God’s peace and beauty from the inside out.

Not to rest is an act of disobedience, and a lack of rest damages fellowship with God. We don’t get to hear Him or discover things about Him when we aren’t resting in His presence.

When Christ died, He was made the curse and paid our penalties Himself. Because of this, we are not condemned and Christ isn’t mad at us, but we do reap what we sow. We’re not judged in the here and now, but we cannot avoid the consequences of our choices.

Lack of rest robs us. It takes part of our inheritance because Jesus is rest, and, if we’re believers, Jesus is our inheritance.
It’s a matter of learning how to move in life from your heart and not your head. I’m not asking you to check your mind at the door because God would never ask you to do that. Remember He’s the Fountainhead of truth and wisdom.

But to learn how to stay in a resting posture in God’s presence and function in your daily life is, to me, the most powerful foundation to live from.

Graham Cooke says, “Everything has already been given. We are simply learning how to access and use it. We’re never waiting to receive; we’re learning how to live in it.”

Right now, I’m learning how to identify the times when I enter into my stress or I grab up things that God never intended for me. I sometimes catch myself doing long inhales and exhales. For me, that means I’m stressing. When I began to worry about something, I’ve slipped back into doing and not being. I pause and ask God, “What’s going on with me right now? Where did I lose You? What do You want to be for me right now?”

The beauty of peace and being in God’s rest is a place I want to stay for the rest of my earthly days. It’s so incredibly beautiful that I’m not going to rush anything for fear of missing what He wants to show me. Surely, it’s the superfood of heaven.

As I continue to explore God’s rest through the lens of His heart, He recently gave me a vision of concrete being broken up into pieces and underneath was beautiful soil. I felt an impression on my heart that He wanted to break up the concrete in my life and plant a beautiful garden. I can’t wait to see what that garden looks like.

NOW LIVE LOVED and THRIVE!

Self-Reflection

These questions are in no way a substitute for healthcare professionals or any level of professional counseling. I’m an advocate for taking care of oneself mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. These questions reflect my heart, NOT my profession.

This questionnaire is an opportunity to journal your thoughts and feelings. It can serve as a launching pad on which to evaluate your heart condition as you understand it. My hope is that you will take the truths you discover about yourself and hold them up to the Light to evaluate them against who God says you are.

• What is the difference between being and doing?
• Do you believe being in God is a powerful way to live? Explain.
• If God made rest part of His seven-day creation, how important do you think it is to Him?
• Do you make time to rest? If so, what does it look like for you? If not, why not?
• What is one thing you can change to allow purposeful rest into your life?

Talk to God about your answers. Give Him praise, ask Him questions and then listen for His gentle response.

Take Action

Use God’s word to take control over the traumas in your life.  Whenever you feel terrorized by your thoughts take them captive by replacing them with the truth of God’s promises in His word.

Here is a scripture for you to print, cut and carry with you and/or post in places where you will see it often. Ground yourself in God’s truths not Satan’s attacks. Encourage your heart and mind every time you are reminded of His great love for YOU!

Here is what God’s Word says about His unfailing, relentless, unending love for you:

“Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:30 (MSG)

Read God’s love letter to you, say to yourself:  Drawing close to God and spending time with Him will teach me how to live in freedom in the various areas of my life.