The rest of the story
by Michael S. Tyrrell
February 2, 2021
Happy Tuesday, Wholetonians!
This week, I want to continue on the subject of rest because I think it’s so important that it merits more time spent on it.
We hear these words every day, from our parents, our spouses, our doctors, our employers–and we probably say them to the people we care about all the time:
“Make sure you get your rest. You need to rest.”
We even say it without really thinking about it, and most likely without practicing what we preach.
Resting is much more than mere physical repose. It’s a mental quietness. It’s also a very spiritual exercise.
In order to get the full benefits of rest, we need to discover and embrace the full scope of rest: physical, mental, and spiritual. We need to discover what the Author of Life has to say about it.
Last week I mentioned how God took a day to rest after all of His work of creation, and how that set an example for us of physical rest.
This week, in my time of devotions, I was reading in the book of Hebrews. I began to ponder how patient the Apostle Paul was in trying to show a bunch of people who thought they knew everything about God, that there were things they just weren’t seeing. He was trying to convey to a very hard-working people who took pride in the fact that they rested physically in obedience to the scriptures, that they were not resting at all, spiritually.
Sometimes we think we know what we really don’t know. When we think we know, we can adopt a cavalier, know-it-all attitude. But it can be frustrating and difficult, if not impossible, to teach someone who thinks they already know what they don’t know! I speak as someone who has been on both sides of this equation; I have been the “frustrated” and the “frustrator.” And I am still learning how to truly rest.
Paul was conveying to the Hebrews that there is rest in God and His Word, and that rest came to us in the Person of Jesus Christ. We can find His rest by receiving Him. When we put our trust in Him, then we can have real and complete rest; not just physical, but emotional, mental and spiritual rest.
As people, we are always striving. We want to do better, to be better, to achieve greater things and reach our full potential. There’s nothing wrong with that, but we do need to recognize when our own efforts are just not enough. Striving is the opposite of resting, and it can bring weariness, turmoil, defeat, anxiety and worry. We need to know we can put all our striving in God’s hands and rest knowing He desires to carry us. That’s the message of the Gospel: Rest for our souls.
Jesus said,
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” ~ Matthew 11:28
Getting a good night’s sleep is so important, but I want to encourage you to not stop there. Read God’s Word, believe it, receive it. Join me in doing this, and together we will be well on our way to truly resting well.
Have a great week!
Be Whole,
Michael S. Tyrrell
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