MARIA CURREY | CONTRIBUTOR

Summer is upon us and with it comes vacations and times to get away. What speaks rest and renewal to you? Soothing surf-sounds and sand in your toes? Cruising to your dream destination with vacation days sprawling ahead? Manis and pedis at the spa? While rest and renewal may imply luxurious escape, there is a much deeper, eternally lavish rest and renewal offered in Christ.

God offers lasting treasures. He gives us physical, spiritual, and emotional rejuvenation, perfectly portioned time which we are encouraged and exhorted to set apart. Rest and renewal are given within God’s pace of grace, gifts wisely given and guarded, when and IF we choose to receive them.

Creator Rest

Where do we first see rest and by Whom is it reflected?

God Himself models rest in Genesis 2:2-3, “And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.”

If God rested after creating, should we not also rest after we work?

Do you have a sanctified day of rest?  A day set apart to be holy, for sacred purposes.

Sabbath Rest

God gives us rest as a commandment in Exodus 20:8-11, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work…For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”

If work is crowding your Sabbath, shoving rest from your plate, you may be at risk of missing refreshment at best, and, even worst, of suffering burn-out and spiritual fatigue. You miss out on worshipping the God who created you for worship of Him. You miss out on being fed the Word and nourished by the Lord’s Supper. You miss out on being with your church family, receiving spiritual encouragement and exhortation. Hold tenaciously to this set-apart rest. Remember, it is not only encouraged; it is commanded (Heb. 10:25).

Spiritual Rest

Jesus is our comfort and reminds us in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Jesus gives reliable rest—gentle and humble—not placing yokes of burden upon our shoulders. He reminds us to remain in His light with no guilt nor weight of what others carry. No snare-of-compare nor fear of missing out. Not thinking we must carry a certain load to prove our merit. No striving to be justified by our works. Jesus gives us His rest.

Rest is further validated in Hebrews 4:9-10. “So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For whoever enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His.” What’s good for God must be good for us.

Spirit Renewal

How do we experience renewal through God’s Spirit?

Titus 3:5 clarifies the role of the Holy Spirit in renewal: “He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” Righteous deeds, what you and I do in Christ, do not give spiritual renewal. Being in Christ, being washed by His righteous deeds on the cross gives us renewal. When we quiet ourselves and rest, we are reminded that Jesus did the work to make our renewal possible, then sent His Spirit to reside within us. Isaiah 40:31 is a beautiful illustration: “but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” My hope is not contingent on what I do but on what God has done and is doing in my life. Renewal comes from Jesus’ blood-redeeming robe of righteousness. Rest slows, rejuvenates, refreshes, and reminds us of His renewal.

Spiritual Soul Spa

We need rest and renewal. And not just during summer vacation. God initiated rest from our labors at Creation and provided rest and renewal for our soul-labor through Jesus Christ. Today He provides opportunities for rest in Him. To be alone daily with God in His Word and in prayer are essential for our spiritual well-being, setting the tone and temper of our days. In a weekly rhythm, we need rest to refresh and to simply BE. On a Sabbath day, we worship God. We can linger over a long meal, enjoy our people, then intentionally nap, or walk in nature, or just spend time in silence. We can dock our phones and turn notifications off. And be still. Rest and renewal are not one-size fits all. But they are God-spoken and Spirit-sized, so should be prioritized regularly by all.

Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash