Friday is here! If you are like me you have been trained to look forward to Friday afternoon and the weekend that follows. Weekends are a time that we can rest and play and hopefully enjoy a few days away from our jobs to do other things.
But then Monday comes and the process starts all over. If we are not careful we can find ourselves in a perpetual “looking forward to the weekend” mindset where we aren’t truly enjoying each day to the fullest. We start chasing the idea of rest and relaxation as a goal in and of itself instead of the good things that God has for us each and every day.
What we need, then, is to learn to rest properly. We need to learn to rest in the Lord and be sustained by Him.
Psalm 37:7 says “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him”. Note that resting in this context involves a continued hope that waits patiently on God’s provision and God’s timing. This type of resting does not involve stopping, giving up or running away and is certainly not a form of escapism like so many of this world’s distractions. This is a rest that remains focused on God as our provider and the one who sustains us. This is the only type of rest that truly restores us and blesses us.
That is not to say that we should neglect physical rest. It is important to take care of the bodies that God has given us and be good stewards to our health and well-being. But we don’t need to stop at just resting physically. If we are just resting physically without taking the time to rest our spirit in Him then we are missing God’s best for us.
We live busy lives. Distractions are everywhere. As God’s people, it is imperative that we remain rooted and grounded in Him at all times. By learning to truly rest in the Lord with our hope and confidence placed in Him we can enjoy the absolute best rest ever.