No Rest For The Weary

By Rev. Stewart Speaks
FWIS Contributing Writer

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) This summer I have taken time to just breathe and to rest. Classes have paused for the summer and I am no longer in school. At times I have felt guilty as there is still much to do. I have found myself napping more than usual and simply enjoying the minor details in life. I laughed at myself last week because I, uncharacteristically of myself, allowed my children to dance in the rain fully clothed and without a raincoat. Life has been rather simple, and I have loved every minute of it.

Society often tells us that there ARE enough hours in the day to get tasks done, but that we have not properly budgeted and prioritized our time. Can I be honest? I spent many years of my life believing this lie. I would stay up ALL night to complete tasks only to have to endure another full day of craziness the next day. I found myself exhausted, depressed and irritable.

I truly believe there ARE NOT enough hours in the day to often get done all the tasks that need to get done. We can be productive and prioritize the tasks that are most important, but it is imperative that we leave time for rest and leisure. In scripture, we see examples of Jesus stealing away in isolation to rest like found in Mark 6: 46 that says, “After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray”. When was the last time you took time away just to pray?

Over this last year, I have been studying the implications of true rest. My conclusion has been that rest is not for the weary, but those that rest are strong. You see, I have found that when I take time to rest, I am joyful, energized and pleasant to be around.

Jesus is my rest. Said another way, I find rest in Him. As a believer, I do not have to wait until a specific day of the week to find solace and peace because that solace and peace can be sought at any time through Christ. We see in Scripture Jesus resting on the Sabbath and we therefore have a model in our society to rest.

Again, I ask you this question: When was the last time you took time away just to pray? Many of us are leaders in our community and have some sphere of influence. What if we modeled healthy boundaries and rest? I believe society might view rest a little differently.

We have Christ as our ultimate example and we find many examples of our Savior resting, seeking solace, and stealing away from the crowd. My prayer for you as you read this, is that you take a moment from your busy schedule to steal away to commune with God. He’s waiting to hear from you. Be blessed.