Devotional: Live From A Place Of Rest
What is rest? Jesus meant rest not just as a break from working. Rest is something we can experience even in the midst of our everyday labor. However, the world emphasizes work, performance, and achievement. And it says that we can find rest in buying things, experiencing life, or escaping work altogether. These are not necessarily bad things. God worked, and we are called to work also. And the fruits of our labor are gifts from God. But they are not meant to give us the deep rest our soul constantly long for. Our hearts are restless until we find our rest in Him. In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus says that He, alone, is the source of rest. No matter what burden you carry, deepest and most satisfying rest comes from constantly going to him, learning from Him, and receiving His rest.
Questions For Meditation
- When you think of everything going on in your life, what do you need a break from?
- How is your relationship with rest? Is your demeanor and outlook characterized by a constant busyness, agitation and striving?
- The world and the devil are always presenting us with false, counterfeit rest. What do you turn to for rest after a busy days’ work, when feeling exhausted, or overwhelmed?
- Whether it’s looking forward to the weekend, or yearning for freedom from oppression and injustice, we think of rest as something we’ll have in the future. When can you access the rest that Jesus invites you to “come” and “take”?
- Jesus doesn’t just offer repose, but freedom from condemnation and guilt. What is the ultimate yoke – the impossible burden – that Christ relieves us from when we come to him? How has He accomplished that?
- Instead of offering us escape, Jesus gives us his yoke. He equips us with a new way to live in constant rest, just as He did. What can we learn from Jesus’ life? Where did He find rest?
- How does resting in Christ – and in His finished work on the cross – change how you approach your everyday work, schoolwork, relationships, and the world around you?