Many of us who are followers of Jesus know what it is like to serve Him. We can sometimes do so much that we forget that part of serving Jesus is to get four proper forms of rest. These are physical rest, spiritual rest, mental rest and emotional rest. Let’s find out more about this very important topic. When we look at this topic from the perspective of the Old and New Testament together, we see that this ultimate form of rest comes from Jesus Christ.
First of all the Bible says, “By the seventh day, God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all His work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done”(Genesis 2:2-3). The Sabbath rest that the Bible talks about is not kept in today’s day and age, because Jesus Christ came to fulfill the Sabbath rest, and we now find our ultimate rest in Him (Jesus).
Here are a few verses in the New Testament that point us in that direction. “The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship” (Hebrews 10:1) and “But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God,” (Hebrews 10:12).
When we look at these verses in light of the finished work of Jesus Christ, it changes everything. Most Bible teachers will point out that the fact that Jesus Christ sat down at the right hand of God, because the work that He came to do was “finished.” Therefore He rested. Most Bible commentaries will also say that the Old Testament sacrificial system was based on works and that the priests who ministered in the tabernacle never sat down because the work was never done, because they were constantly making sacrifices. Yet, when Jesus Christ laid down His own life as a sacrifice, the work He came to accomplish was finished. No more sacrifices were needed.
In the New Testament, we find our ultimate rest in Jesus Christ and we no longer follow the rules of the law. Many of us have forgotten the whole concept of rest, and we also forget that this rest is to be ultimately found in Jesus. We should all, find at least one day of the week, that doesn’t look the same as all the other days. This doesn’t mean that we stop doing everything, but we should be consciously looking for a day that is slower and more reflective on our relationship in Jesus Christ.
This could include getting a little more sleep, working on a hobby, listening to a few sermons on the radio or the internet, going for a coffee at a local coffee shop and taking a book or the Bible with you to read. This could also include doing a little more focused praying or working on a special project (low key) you have been avoiding. The bottom line is to take yourself out of the ordinary things of life that you do, and while you are not doing these regular things, you focus on resting in Jesus Christ.
Many of us, well-intentioned, faithful Christians, like to do so much that we forget to simply rest. The problem is that when we do not take time to rest, we burn out and sometimes fade away. We all know people who have been so busy serving others that they forget to take care of themselves. Believe me, there is no glory in burning out. Jesus wants us to rest on a regular basis, and when we do, we will find that this rest is ultimately found in Him.
I have been taught that my Aboriginal people see four main areas of life. These four areas are physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental. Everything we do revolves around these four areas. When we refuse to rest or don’t take the time to rest, we are harming these areas of our lives. I ask you to take time to rest in Jesus. You will never regret it and you will also find that it helps to heal the brokenness of your heart as well.
Rest allows us to calm down and recover. If you were to run a horse all day, every day, without any rest, the horse would eventually die. The same is true with us. We need to take time to rest and realize that this rest is ultimately found in Jesus.
Parry Stelter is originally from Alexander First Nation and is founder of Word of Hope Ministries and lives in Edmonton, Alberta. http://www.wordofhopeministries.ca
