Intentional Rest
Ryan O’Neill
We’ve done it. We’re past Christmas, past New Years. For some of us, that means mayhem is behind us. A flurry of wrapping paper and bows flying through the air, toys with noise and lights, new gadgets to play with. For others it means great times with family and friends, a time to disconnect from the vocational and connect with the relational. For others still we’re headfirst into resolutions.
I’m sitting here at the time of writing this looking back on a Christmas morning with my wife, two dogs and my six month old. It’s a time of new traditions, finding balance, and unwrapping all the presents you just wrapped hours prior. And in the midst of it, I’m trying to find rest. Rest for me is difficult, because I don’t do it well. If I have a day off, I want to go somewhere, do something. I don’t like shutting my brain off, and I have a very hard time being “actively unproductive.” But I’m learning! So here are some of my thoughts:
Ephesians 5:15-20 says: “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
We don’t know how long we have. We don’t know the time the Lord has set to come back. We don’t know when we won’t be on this earth anymore. Is that to instill fear? No. Scripture is very clear that what we do while we’re here matters. I think a pivotal piece of that is rest, because rest is not the absence of doing, but rather the intentionality of filling and focusing. Focusing on filling yourself with the wisdom, knowledge, and direction of the Holy Spirit in order to best fulfil His will while we’re here.
Why is rest important? Jesus. Emphasized. Rest. Rest is not greedy, self-satisfying indulgence. Jesus emphasized intentional rest. With intentional rest we find clarity, and we find regulation.
First, rest regulates intentions. What do you intend to accomplish? What are your priorities? Is it to advance the Kingdom? Great! Then you need insight on how to do that. If you’re too busy, you receive no insight because you don’t have time to enter the Throne Room. But be careful, rest is not a luxury, rest is learned. More intentional rest equals a clearer parallel of God’s will and your priorities. But we need to practice, just like any other spiritual discipline, how to rest well.
Second, rest regulates expectations. It’s very important for us to root our expectations in the Lord’s direction, because unmet expectations always lead to disappointment. So let me ask you, what are you expecting of Jesus? Who do you expect him to be in your life, and how do you expect your life as a Christian to play out?
Let’s look quickly at biblical expectations.
He has promised that he will be with us no matter what and that nothing can ever separate us from his love.
He has promised that resurrection will triumph over death and that there will be a future day when he will personally wipe every tear from every eye and remove sickness and death from his creation forever.
He has promised that when we call, he will answer.
What are your expectations?
That life as a Christian will be easy?
To hear an audible voice for all your answers?
For all your problems to be solved?
God has not promised us that we will be free from all sickness and have lots of money in this lifetime. He has not promised that bad things will not happen to good people. He has not promised that we and our loved ones will never die. Do your expectations line up with God’s will for your life? Things I ponder often, and you might as well!
So what do we do with rest? We’ve seen that rest is not a lack of things happening. Rest is intentional focus. Most all of us at this point are back into rhythm and routine. Regardless, take some time to think about these things:
What is God delivering in your life? How do you see that more clearly? What does that look like for you? Analyze your day to day. What do you need to get out of your way to see him more clearly?
Things to remember:
Rest and rush do not exist together.
Say no to things every once and a while.
God’s word should be foundational and first in your life to lead well.
Find time to connect with the Lord even when it’s not convenient. Jesus withdrew from his environment to pray. Don’t happen upon rest. Act on it. Practice it.
This season and beyond, lean into rest. You may have to create opportunities. But if you do, I promise you God will reveal himself.