What is Rest?

Rest is a hard concept for me because I tend to be an all or nothing person. I am either on the go or I am sleeping. Since I am not good at time management, my days feel rushed and there never seems to be time to slow down. My nights are restless because of the stress of the day, but because I also struggle with depression, I sleep a lot and then I feel bad because nothing gets accomplished. Once the guilt settles in, I move into the busy mode again because, if I am moving I don’t feel depressed.

I know that my lack of exercise has a lot to do with the way I feel, so rest seems like a strange thing to focus on. However, I feel strongly that God is telling me to begin here – I must to learn to rest.

I have struggled with the misconception that rest means sleep, so I decided to look up the actual definition of the word “rest”. Webster defines rest as both a noun and a verb. The noun definitions are as follows:

a bodily state characterized by minimal functional and metabolic activities

freedom from activity or labor

peace of mind or spirit

something used for support

I am pretty good at the first description. I can shut down with the best of them. I can lie in bed, slow my breathing, close my eyes, and do nothing for hours. Unfortunately, as I have discovered, this does not help either my body or my soul to feel more rested. Instead, it merely delays all of the things that need to be addressed in my life. I really think that it must be the following three definitions that God is calling me to. Freedom, peace, and learning to lean on God certainly do sound appealing. How then can I put those things into practice?

Freedom: Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest and the slave born in your household and the alien as well, may be refreshed. Exodus 23:12

Peace: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

Support: The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14