Jesus: 'Come Away & Rest A While’
The Wisdom & Essence of Rest
“And he [Jesus] said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. ”
We live in a society that praises workaholism. When we become addicted to getting things done and working until we break, we are called go-getters. But this is not the work ethic of the Kingdom of God. By work, I mean any activity that involves a mental or physical effort to achieve a purpose or result. It includes professional jobs, serving at church, doing chores, various ministries, etc. Jesus invites and shows us how to rest in Him.
Blessing or Bully?
Don't get me wrong. God does not condone laziness. He calls us to work hard and be diligent with the responsibilities he gives us (a). But he also reminds us to regard him as the Giver and Provider of all good things, because he is. There is a context outside of which strong work ethics turn into a monster and destroy us. When we place our identity in work instead of God, we make it an ultimate thing. We rely on it for hope and fulfillment, so we slave away, thinking that if we give it less, life will fall apart somehow. This is how we turn good things into monster idols that eat us away. Folks, I am preaching to myself here. I have a hard time saying no to 'good works'. I easily turn the gift of servanthood into a master. I give into my people-pleasing tendencies or pride, forgetting that God is building his house, whether I participate or not.
Behold the Sovereign God
We cannot even begin to understand wise work ethics if we do not work in the fear of God. Why? As we grow in knowing God, we grow not only in understanding our limitations and weaknesses but also in rejoicing in them. Yes, we should be comforted by the fact that we need rest and were not created to hold the world on our shoulders. It sets us free in our work, relationships, and life. God is the one who holds our future and governs history. God is the one who ultimately provides.
When we stop and contemplate our limitedness in the light of our Father's un-limitedness and Sovereignty, we learn not to freak out when we can't get everything done on our to-do lists. When we consider that what matters for eternity has already been secured by Jesus through his life, death, and resurrection, we learn to look at temporary things in perspective. We learn to rest in Him. In a (not so) strange way, we work best when we rest well in God.
The Essence of Rest
Resting is not merely physical. When Jesus went away to rest, he went to pray and spend time with the Father. The essence of rest is renewing and strengthening our reliance on God, in the light of the Gospel.
Spiritual fatigue is when we get depleted from relying on anything or anyone other than God for provision. True rest happens when we place ourselves in a state of remembering who God is, drawing freedom, peace, strength, courage, and energy from his infinite resources — from the finished work of Christ on our behalf. Because we are body and soul, rest often includes both a physical (e.g. taking a physical break or isolation) and a spiritual component (prayer, meditating on Scripture, etc.).
Practically speaking, there is no commandment in the New Testament for a specific rest routine or time period. My opinion is that the more responsibilities you have, the more intentional you need to be about resting. That's when the temptation to rely on other things than Christ is strongest. What’s your plan for a rest routine? Think about it. Let's follow Jesus’ example.
NOTES & SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
(a) Colossians 3:23: Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.; Proverbs 14:23: In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.
