Rest is a place where people long to be, but once there, realize the satisfaction is short lived.
I dream of rest. I am a busy person by nature and so rest does not come easily, nor voluntarily. I have to make myself rest at times. (Anyone else?) Like when the dishes are begging you to wash them or your husband gently hints that he is nearly out of clean underwear. It's in those moments when rest seems impossible.
There's always something.
I recently moved to a new city and since being removed from everything that use to keep me busy, I've found an immense amount of resting time. And by immense, I frankly mean way too much. I don't know what to do with this much time. The hours move slower than ever before and the sun seems to never set.
In the beginning it was such a relief. There was room to breathe in the air and, well, rest.
But now I've found myself in a place between rest and unrest.
I'm content, not anxious, but I feel myself getting there. Its a weird feeling because I feel in our culture, we're always looking forward to the next vacation or day off. There's always something we are anticipating and most of the time it has to do with, well, doing nothing.
So to be in a place in-between is a little silly to me. But I think it's natural.
We weren't created to rest. We were created to be at rest.
The human soul was created after that of God. We were created in His image, in accordance with who He is, has been, and always will be. We may not be perfect, but we have the Perfected One dwelling within our being.
And though He rested, He was never complacent in resting. And neither am I. Or you.
We get antsy. We get inspired. We get restless. We get empowered to do something, be someone, go somewhere and I believe, it is because that's how God is as well.
I'm still trying to figure out the doctrine and full biblical perspective of this thing we call "rest," but I feel a little more enlightened about my current state of in-between.
Verses I'm studying through:
- Genesis 2:2-3 "And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation."
- Exodus 23:12 "Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed."
- Exodus 20:8-10 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates…"
- Matthew 11:28-29 "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
Have you or are you in-between rest and unrest? What are you discovering about it?
