Peace

What do you think of when I say the word rest? Do you think about taking a nap? Getting eight hours of sleep? Taking a vacation or a long walk? So often we only think about our bodies and forget that our minds need rest too. The fact is, if we do not rest our thoughts, then the long walks and vacations create more stress, not less, because all we think about is all the work we are not getting done at that moment and the problems that wait for us when we get back.

Rest—real rest—involves giving our cares to Jesus and focusing on how strong he is instead of how heavy our burdens seem. Our faith—real faith—permeates our whole lives; it is not just about who we will worship on Sunday, but who we will trust and worship every day.

Instead of running your burden through your mind over and over again, choose rest. Cast your cares, your hurts, the decisions you need to make, the problems you can’t figure out—whatever it is—on Jesus. Give it to him and rest. It might be difficult at first, so commit to giving it to him for an hour while you nap or take a walk. Tell him that you are trusting him with the situation and solution, and then focus on something or someone that brings peace and happiness to your life. Stop the chase that’s filled with anxiety and be embraced by God’s rest as you trust him with all the answers.

Invitation to Prayer

Lord Jesus, I trust you. I am resting in you—choosing to open my mind and life to let your power and supremacy permeate every anxious thought, hurt, doubt, and decision. Help me to rest; help me to hand over every aspect of my life and rest in the security of your arms instead of wrestling with my anxieties. Help me to clear my mind and my calendar to rest and be refreshed in you. Enable me to quiet the noise around me as well as the roar in my mind so that I can enjoy silence. I want to embrace rest and remove stress from the way I process this wonderful life that you have given me.