Rest – The Difficult Discipline

Our church just finished a series on some of the spiritual disciplines which we called habits of grace: word, prayer, fellowship, service, generosity, worship and rest. The last one, rest, may sound easy, but it’s actually one of the more difficult disciplines, and also one of the most God intimate.

For there to be rest there must be a rest-ee (us) and a rest-or (God). Resting is like hanging on a branch. If there is no branch, I’m just falling. For me to experience rest, someone must be doing the heavy lifting. When exercising the habit of rest, I am brought face to face very quickly with a God who is present and active. If he does not show up to fulfill his promises, things unravel very quickly.

God is aware of our weak faith, and the conversation with unbelief in our head, which is why he doubles down and underscores specific details concerning Rest in the law:

"Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest. In plowing time and in harvest you shall rest." - Exodus 34:21

Do you know what a challenge that is for someone who works the earth? You have a relatively short amount of time, working around seasons and weather patterns, both to get the seed in the ground and then to get the produce out of the ground. Growing food is not a “I’ll get to it when I get to it” type of task. Once the window is past, it’s past. 

But God did not just command a mandatory rest (no excuses) on one out of seven days. Keep reading:

"You shall observe the Feast of Weeks, the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year's end. Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the LORD God, the God of Israel." - Exodus 34:22-23

Yes, you read correctly. Mandatory road trip. Females allowed to come. Males must. Three times a year, drop what you’re doing and come celebrate the goodness of the Lord! And this was not a weekend getaway. The interstate had not been built yet. It took some time to get to Jerusalem and back. “But my business... The competition... Who will take care of...?” The Lord understands, and so he assures them:

"...no one shall covet your land, when you go up to appear before the LORD your God three times in the year." - Exodus 34:24

What a promise! And this is why Kevin’s four major points he shared Sunday are critical. Rest requires trust in God’s provision, power, wisdom and ways. Rest is intrinsically tied to faith and obedience. Acting when God says to wait, and waiting when God says to act are both sin. Just ask King Saul (I Samuel 13:8-14; 15:10-23). 

And because resting necessitates God showing up, it is also one of the most relational of the disciplines. Note the personal nature of God’s invitations to rest:

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28

My father-in-law shares a story about a time when he was at the playground with my three year old son. My son was sitting on the swing, motionless. Grandpa stood behind him asking, “Can I push you?” To which my son replied: “By self! By self!” And so he continued to sit there, not going anywhere, with a loving grandfather who wanted to give him the joy of sailing through the air propelled by strong arms. 

The story brings to mind the words of our Savior:

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!" - Matthew 23:37

Father, may I not be like the donkey or mule which needs bit and bridle to follow your will. Help my heart to desire to listen attentively for the voice of your spirit - to move when you call me to move, to wait when you call me to wait. May I rest in your yoke, glad to be heading home.