I Don't Rest Well

I don’t rest well.

I wish I could tell you I was the turn the phone off, ignore the work, and be completely present (all the time) kind of guy.

I’m not. I’m working on it. I’m working on finding rhythms of rest that help me grow closer to Jesus. And I guess that’s one of the things I’m learning in this season:

Resting is an act of worship.

When we rest well, we are acknowledging that we don’t have to be in control. We don’t have to be at the helm. When we find our rhythm of rest we aren’t just going to benefit from the physical attributes of rest, but we also benefit from the spiritual benefits of it as well.

In Mark 4 Jesus is in the middle of a massive storm and he is fast asleep. Resting so well that his friends have to wake him up to tell him they are in trouble.

Jesus’ response is this, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

I don’t know about you, but this year (and what is coming) feels like one of those storms. The kind of storms that makes me want to wake up my friends. And yet Jesus’ question is as important today as it is the day he originally asked it.

Learning to rest in the storm isn’t a statement about fear, or our comfort level with what’s happening in the world. Learning to rest in the storm is a statement of faith.

Faith that God is still God.

Faith that this too shall pass.

Faith that Jesus is Lord.

And if your faith isn’t there yet, my suggestion is to try starting with rest.