My waking thoughts are sometimes not the most pleasant. Some days they sound like, “here we go again” or “please, God, let today be better than yesterday.” I can get swept up in a “circle mindset” that feels to be a never-ending vortex of chores, laundry, tantrums, and fatigue. I’m often wondering if anything I do really matters. This cycle is numbing, painful, and is not what the Lord wants for me or my family.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
John 10:10, NIV
When I find myself in this tornado of perpetual nothingness, it takes a brother or sister in Christ to point me back to Jesus. They reach into the depths of my despair and pull me out with essentially one simple question.
Where are you finding rest?
I know what the answer is. It’s supposed to be JESUS! Am I really living that way? Am I doing what the Lord has commanded that I do and rest in Him?
Truly my soul finds rest in God;
my salvation comes from Him.Psalm 62:1, NIV
1. Identify your rest idols.
A lot of us think we know what rest looks like. We are bombarded with self-help books, well-meaning friends, and thousands of apps that tell us how we can finally have the energy we wish we had.
My rest idol is sleep. I think if I can just get those ten extra minutes, I can eradicate my entire to-do list, play for hours with my kids, wash all the sheets, make a nutritious dinner, bake a cake, and have a little extra energy for my husband at the end of the day. Has this ever happened? Nope. Not once. Sleep is a good thing, but it is not where I find the true rest my soul needs.
What is it for you? Fiddling on your phone for hours? Binge-watching a show? Getting pampered at a spa? Again, not bad things, but are they truly bringing your soul rest?
There are some of us on the other end of the spectrum, though. The ones who find all the gratification in checking off your entire to-do list. If you can just achieve more, THEN you can finally rest. Sadly, this kind of “rest” doesn’t truly satisfy our craving for inner peace either.
2. Find your rest rhythm.
Resting is an art. At first, it is an art that can feel like a toddler doodling (especially when you have actual toddlers doodling at your house). It can take a while to determine where you really find rest in the Lord, and that can even change over the years.
I have friends who find rest in music. They can sit alone and listen to worship music and truly feel seen and loved by Jesus. I love music, but I don’t find rest there. Others can find it in listening to sermons or great teachers preach God’s Word. Some people find rest in reading the Bible or another great book, journaling poems on how God has answered prayers, or painting pictures that remind them of God’s beauty and love.
I find rest in nature. Specifically, hiking in nature. When I am journeying through God’s creation and I hear the sounds He crafted just for me, I feel Him there. I trust Him there. I am reminded that He deeply loves me despite my overflowing to-do list, failures, and trials. I don’t have to worry anymore. He’s got it.
3. Practice, practice, practice.
Rest really boils down to this: trusting God with your ENTIRE life. I’ve met a few special men and women who I can honestly say seemed entirely at peace. Most of them have endured intense heartache. Do they go to the spa every day? Get ten hours of sleep? Have a perfectly clean house?
No way. All they do is completely trust in the Lord. They can do that wholeheartedly because God has proven Himself faithful to them in their lowest moments. They have felt His love and comfort in places where no one else could reach.
Practice trusting in the Lord the second you are facing any sort of difficulty, big or small. Practice your rest rhythm so you are reminded daily that He loves you. Practice with your children who need to be trained in the art of rest, also. Practice, practice, practice.
One of my dear friends told me to shift my “circle mindset” to an “arrow mindset”. I am not living the same day over and over for nothing. I am taking ground for God’s Kingdom with every meal cooked, every pile of laundry done, every tantrum worked through, every second I choose light over darkness for my family. We are moving toward Jesus, and we can fully experience the beauty of life when our souls can rest in Him.
