Seven Types of Sabbath for Our Modern Culture!Sample

Receiving Mental Rest

The Hebrew word “shalom” is where we get our word for “peace.” But peace doesn’t quite do the definition of shalom justice. Often, we in the west describe peace as the absence of suffering or turmoil. But shalom means the presence of prosperity, wholeness, tranquility, welfare, harmony, and peace. It can also be translated to mean a kind of peace that binds chaos. Have you experienced chaos in your life at all? 

When our minds get full of worries and concerns we can wear ourselves out very quickly. We can become so familiar with being weary that we forget what rest actually feels like. We are called and created to work from rest, not for it. For most of our lives, we can go through mental checklists, much like jumping through hoops, and then rewarding ourselves with rest when we are finished. The problem with that is that we begin to train ourselves to work for rest and not from it. 

To be mentally free we must embrace that rest is our portion in Christ. Rest is our birthright. When Jesus said, “It is finished!” on the cross, He meant it. When we embrace a life-style with this as a foundation, it reorders everything according to how God created us to function. This brings Him honor and glory and allows us to receive freely all that He has poured out on us as His children and heirs. Our acknowledgment of Him as Lord of our lives allows for true shalom to stand guard like a soldier over our minds and keeps us in His perfect peace.

Prayer: 

Thank You, Jesus, that You made the ultimate sacrifice for me so that I could experience the peace of mind that only comes from your lordship over my life. Thank You for guarding my mind like a soldier with Your perfect peace that surpasses understanding. Would You help me remember when I get weary to stop and embrace Your rest as my portion? I’m so grateful for the kind of rest that You have given me to live in. There is so much joy inside of Your rest!