We are solicited from all sides, so much so that we can forget to rest. Not only to rest our body but also our soul and our spirit. Yet God promises us that His rest is our strength.
Rest is one of the great blessings that God has promised to His people, as Jesus said so well. “Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 NCV). But what is this rest that Jesus mentioned here? Yes, it is to take time off, but above all, it is to seek to do the will of God.
That was indeed the definition given by God to the notion of the Sabbath: not to work and to think more about God. Our Heavenly Father even placed this law in His 10 Commandments because He knew that rest is essential for our survival. Our muscles, for example, gain strength when there are moments of rest between exercise sessions. We won’t be better on our exam if we study for 8 hours non-stop: we need to take breaks to let the information sink deep into our memory. Even for single people, it is sometimes necessary to take a “break” in our search for a partner so as not to lose sight of the essentials.
But be careful: rest is not just about stopping everything. It is also about putting God at the center of our decisions, about doing His will. That is the basis of Christian life. We begin our Christian life “seated” in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:4-6), therefore in rest. Rest here means we let God be on the throne of our lives, leaving our desires in His hands. We are sometimes exhausted because we are pursuing goals that God did not give us! It is good to take the time to question ourselves to see if our occupations are really a direction from God. We should let God correct us if we are not in the right place: this can be restful (Psalm 23:4).
Freedom in God is not to do whatever we want, it’s almost the opposite. Freedom in God is to no longer be a slave to our flesh: to no longer feel obliged to do what our flesh desires! Likewise, the peace of God is not having any worries. We may weather a storm, but the peace of God will not let the storm overtake our souls. That is why we can sleep even in the midst of a seemingly hopeless situation (Matthew 8:24). In the same vein, resting in God is not to stop, but rather, to do the will of God. “Accept my teachings and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest for your lives. The burden that I ask you to accept is easy; the load I give you to carry is light” (Matthew 11:29-30 NCV).
It is when we walk in God’s will that we can truly experience strengthening rest. That is where we can sleep well, for sleep is a blessing that God gives to those who walk in His will. “If the Lord doesn’t build the house, the builders are working for nothing. If the Lord doesn’t guard the city, the guards are watching for nothing. It is no use for you to get up early and stay up late, working for a living. The Lord gives sleep to those he loves” (Psalm 127:1-2 NCV).
True rest for our souls will come when we let God take control of our lives. That doesn’t mean we won’t have anything left to do! We will certainly have fewer things to do, but we will still be at work under His reign. We enter into His rest when we know that God cares for us. “The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need. He lets me rest in green pastures. He leads me to calm water. He gives me new strength. He leads me on paths that are right for the good of his name” (Psalm 23:1-3 NCV). Sheep do not eat when they feel unsafe, and they do not drink when the river is rough. And we too, when we are distracted by the tornado of our occupations no longer hear the voice of our Good Shepherd.
It is time to silence the worries in our heads, it is time to stop the madness of our activities, to sit at the feet of Jesus. Perhaps singles could rephrase the verse Luke 10:41-42 to make it their own. “Single, Single, you are worried and upset about many things. Only one thing is important. Like Mary, choose the good part: sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to Him.” It is there that we will finally enter into a strengthening rest.