Cease Striving

Grace means a lot of things. A lot. All of them overwhelmingly and wonderfully good. But there’s one meaning that speaks to my heart over and over with sweet soothing tones like no other.

Grace means rest. Yes, sweet friends…rest.

Thank God for sweet and blessed rest. The world makes it look like we’re some kind of hero when we’re so busy we can’t see straight, harried to the point of insanity and irritable enough to be unkind.

Friends, we know better. This is not admirable. And so unnecessary. Especially when you have a God who holds your every moment in His loving and capable hands.

There is a love and fullness in His arms that brings the sweetness of life back to our depleted bodies and souls. It’s why I speak so often of grace. Because I see too many people I care about forfeiting their contentment, unaware their Father calls them to the nourishment and refreshment of rest.

Cease striving and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

I had to learn about rest the hard way. I’ve dealt with sickness quite a bit and there’s been many times I pushed my body too hard and was knocked flat on my back. In those moments, I really had to learn to trust my God. I had no choice but to surrender to His care and hope He’d pick up where I left off. I never saw that as a blessing until I began to see that we, as humans, are all prone (almost programmed) to live that way…and until we learn how to be literally still, we’ll never learn how to draw near our closest Friend and find our blessed rest.

Physical rest is one of the many ways God provides rest. He stills our souls when He says, “stop trying to earn my love…it’s always been yours”. He stills our hearts when He says, “I’m not going to let you fall. You’re precious to me. Put this in my care and stop worrying. I’ve got this.”

We can even be quite busy, by the world’s standards, and still be operating from rest. And it’s so peaceful. And so beautiful. And soooo the very picture of the Father who loves us intensely and Who longs for us to understand just how safe we are.

I hope you’re resting today…whatever it is you’re doing. And I hope you’ll also learn to trust He’ll pick up where you leave off. It is His desire and joy to do so but it requires faith. Make room this Christmas for grace-filled stillness and let your hearts be light.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28