REST.

As we start off the new year, I wanted to share with you out of a book that I have been reading recently that is having an impact on my life. It’s called “Rhythms of Renewal,” by Rebecca Lyons, and I loved it so much that not only am I sharing it with you guys, but I’m also taking my Sunday School class and the CARES women through it. (I’m hoping the more I talk about it, the more I will remember to apply it to my life!) The premise is that God has created the world for certain rhythms, and that we are the healthiest when we live in to those. There are four basic rhythms Rebecca explores—Rest, Restore, Connect, and Create. The first two are input rhythms, in which we are filled by God, and the second two are output rhythms, in which we connect to and fill others. As it is important to be filled ourselves before we can really fill others, we are going to tackle these in order, beginning today with rest.

                Personally, I think today is a great day to talk about rest. Its gray and cold outside, and some of us may even see snow! I know for others it can bring more work, but to me, one of the most restful things in the world is a snow day. I do not trust my driving skills, so a snow/ice day forces me to cancel my plans and remain bundled up indoors as I wait for it to pass. Snow days are the best for movies, abundant snacks, and just slowing down.

                Scripture reminds us time and again that rest is important, and that we were created to partake in rest. The first thing we read in the Bible is the story of creation, which culminates in an entire day of rest. God started the world by modeling rest for us. We continue to see it in the life of Jesus, as He often withdrew from crowds to spend time in solitary prayer and reflection.

Rest is also a command. We are commanded to have a Sabbath, to take time to slow down and honor God in the stillness. Every time someone in the Bible encounters God, they do so in stillness. While God can do anything to get our attention, the typical model we see is that God speaks when people are still and listening. It is hard to listen when we are running at a breakneck pace to see how much we can get accomplished.

While there are several ways to rest, there are some takeaways that I found to be particularly helpful when considering this idea:

-          Rest is not a Netflix binge—What Lyons means by this is that vegging out with audio and visual stimulation the entire time is not going to be filling. Sure, catching up on a show or movie that is personally meaningful can be great, but we are not going to receive soul-rest by spending all our free time in front of the TV. We need to be sure to incorporate things like silence, journaling, and walking outside.

-          A Social Media fast could be helpful—I’ll admit that I’m not 100% onboard with this idea just yet, but I’m thinking about it! When we use tools like Facebook and Instagram to determine our worth as compared to others, we step in to a dangerous place. Personally, I could gain many moments back and turn them into something more meaningful if I would put down my phone.

-          The first few minutes of your day can provide a great time of rest—This is one that I’m attempting to live out. While it is going to look different for each individual’s family/home/work context, taking just a few minutes at the beginning of the day to pray, meditate on Scripture, and just listen and focus your thoughts can go a long way. I have started getting up before anyone in my house and using that time to drink my coffee and start my day in such a way that I connect with God before anyone else. I have come to find that time so enjoyable, even though I know I have such a long way to go to making it as meaningful as it could be. On days when I skip this practice, I feel out of sorts and find myself missing it.

      Rest is going to look different for each of us—there is no one prescribed way that we have to find rest, but we are called to find it. Rest is not admitting that you are weak, it’s actually a step to becoming stronger. My prayer for each of us is that we actively search out rest this week—even if we just start with a few minutes!