Trying to find rest in a stressed-out world
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the importance of rest. (I wrote a poem about it a while back – you can read it here.)It’s sort of been in the back of my mind for a long time now, and I’ve lately been pondering, what does it mean to rest?
Does it mean I go lay in bed?
Drink some warm tea and read a book?
Take a nap?
Or, does it mean just being with God?
Or something else entirely?
I was reading my bible this morning, and I stumbled across this verse.
“Return to your rest, my soul,
for the Lord has been good to you.”
Psalm 116:7
I read it over and over, and it just clicked with me. Something about it just feels right. It’s like an invitation to close your eyes, take a deep breath, and remember that God is good.
(Here is song that does a beautiful job of summing this up – I highly recommend.)
Sometimes, I get stressed out. Schoolwork seems to pile up and I have final exams that I want to get a good grade for, and I still want to have time to write and do fun things, too…. and suddenly it feels like all of my time is disappearing.
AHH! There’s not enough time! I’m going into stressed-out mode!
I mean, the whole world is stressed, right? What could be wrong with that?
It’s those moments when I sense God most clearly, in the back of my mind, whispering, “Rest.” Over and over again I can sense him saying it. “Rest. Rest. Just rest. Take a deep breath. Remember I’m good.”
But the thing is, I usually don’t want to. I’ve discovered something about myself, and that is this: I like to be productive. I like to feel like I’m doing something and not just lazing around. So, without really realizing it, I say, “Not right now,” to God. “I don’t have the time. Sorry.”
“You have all of eternity, actually,” he says. (Is that a chuckle on his voice?!?)
And then I stop to think.
Well, in the Bible, it says that God rests.
“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 2:3
God called it holy because he rested? Wait, what?
That makes me think, “Maybe it’s important to rest.”
During this Advent season, especially, I am trying to be more purposeful about that. I’m still figuring out what it means. Though it seems a bit contradictory, maybe it will mean waking up early to spend some time with God. Maybe it means journaling and praying. Maybe it means being still, and saying, “I love you Lord.”
I don’t know yet. But I’m going to be seeking that place of rest.
Photo by Caelie Jones. Thank you to Caelie for a beautiful photograph!
About The Author
Abby
Abby is a teenaged writer who loves using her words for Jesus, to seek and point out beauty in the ordinary. When she isn't writing, you can find her jamming on her guitar, which she fondly calls "Raymond Fender the First", sitting on porches, or reading.