Rest to Remain
I got to enjoy a beautiful California getaway this weekend with some of my close friends! And although I can confidently say it was a sweet trip, I also realized it is hard for me to truly rest. And if you’re like me, you can start to believe that rest is unproductive or a waste of time. It is an unrest spirit that feels the need to always be doing something - working, producing, moving.
But God, in fact, thinks rest is beautiful.
Rest is productive.
Rest is worship.
Now the key to rest is understanding the true meaning of it. Rest is not simply sleeping, doing nothing, or at the extreme end - being slothful. God made this very clear in Proverbs 15:19:
“The way of a sluggard is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a level highway.”
Rest is intentional.
It reminds me of a term we would use when I was a college athlete: “Active Rest.”
On our “rest” days, it didn’t necessarily mean we did nothing, but we were recovering with ice baths, stretching, mobility, and more. It was meant to restore our strength, refocus our mind, and prepare us to keep competing. And I believe God has designed rest for the same purpose: to intentionally refocus our eyes on the Lord and revitalize us for His mission.
From His word, He has spoken:
“So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.” - Hebrews 4:9-11
God created the Sabbath with purpose and He invites us to rest with Him.
With Him. What a sweet truth: our Creator God wants us to enter His rest with Him! Yet it’s one thing to know this truth and another to experience it. So how do we understand what true rest is? And how do we strive to enter it?
Here are five truths about the rest of God that we get to practice and embody.
Rest is…
1. Curated From Creation
From the very foundation of the world, rest was integrated into creation. God Himself rested on the seventh day. He worked six days creating beauty and order, and then He rested - not because He needed to, but because He chose to.
If the Creator of the universe rested, then how much more do I need to rest as a weary human?
I think there is so much beauty in the fact that God rested from His work. There is enjoyment from the hard labor and work that has been done! Our God delights in our hard work unto Him, but I believe He also delights with us in our rest and restoration on the other side of that hard work.
Rest invites us to delight and to remember what God has done in and through us—and ultimately, that He is the one who sustains both our work and our rest.
2. Active in Alignment
Oh, how the Lord knows I need realignment with Him. And rest is the source to realigning our hearts with God. When you think of moments you felt closest to God, they probably include in worship, at church, or at a retreat. These are all spaces of stillness—where we stop and remember that He is God.
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” - Psalm 46:10
When we are still before the Lord, in rest, we are given the space to recall truth, meditate on Scripture, and refocus our eyes on the King.
There is nothing the enemy likes more than to distract us - with work, media, technology, and in this age, what the kids like to call “doom-scrolling.” Rest is the way that gives us the time to savor the sweetness of God’s presence. And that is where our alignment flourishes.
3. Rooted in Receiving
Our whole lives are rooted in receiving, but it is a sweet reminder that rest is received - not earned. Rest is truly a gift from God!
“Every good and perfect gift is from above.” — James 1:17
So every vacation, slow morning, cup of coffee, time with friends and family, laughter, beauty, and joy are gifts from God. We are called to receive and enjoy these gifts fully—not because they fulfill us, but because He does.
Rest invites us to remember what God has given and to actually enjoy it!
4. Pivotal to Presence
Similar to being aligned, being in the very presence of God are the moments I feel closest to Him. And the beautiful thing is His presence is constantly with us - it is up to us to let His Spirit rest on us.
Let His Spirit rest on us.
Even that phrase reminds us how intentional God is—His Spirit rests. His yoke is easy, His burden is light, and in rest, we sit at the feet of Jesus in His presence.
In the constant doing of our daily lives, it is rare that we stop long enough to acknowledge the presence of God. But in rest - the Spirit speaks. And
“in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” - Psalm 16:11
When we become aware of His nearness, we are filled, restored, renewed, and reminded of who we belong to.
5. Essential for Endurance
Rest is essential to continue running the race Christ has called us to. This life is not easy. The calling is high, as stated many times by Jesus Himself.
“For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake.” - Philippians 1:29
We cannot endure this calling without rest. We cannot be on mission without His presence. We cannot run the race without abiding.
But take heart, you don’t have to bear it alone! God is our strength and our rest.
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33
Rest in the Lord is the anchor of life. It reminds us of who God is, aligns us in Him, roots us in remembrance, fixes us on His holy presence, and fuels us for the mission of Jesus Christ.
So here is your call to rest!
True rest is not lazy or weak. Rest is worship to our Creator God who calls us into it. It is abiding in Christ. It is trusting in surrender that God is in control.
God invites you to rest in Him, to delight in Him, to be restored in Him.
So, what are we waiting for - let’s take time this week to rest in God!