RestSample

Rest and Awareness

Imagine your life is like a wooden ship and you’re the sailor. Each part of the ship represents different parts of your life from your social sphere to your working sphere. A good sailor who cares about their ship would do routine checks to make sure everything is working well. If they spot a rotten piece of wood, they’ll renew it.

They recognise that to maintain the overall health of each part of the ship, the wood needs to be healthy. What would happen if, over years of sailing, they didn’t take time to stop and check over the ship? What if a rotten piece of wood wasn’t spotted and it began to spread? It wouldn’t impact one part of the ship, but the whole thing. It would all eventually crumble, even though the rottenness began years ago. How would they know what a healthy ship vs an unhealthy ship looks like? They've seen a healthy ship as an example.

Our example of a healthy life is God’s Word. We need to read it and see it to know what a healthy life looks like and doesn’t look like. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind...” The world’s pattern is death. God’s pattern is life. The rotten pieces in our life, instilled by the world’s pattern, need renewing into God’s pattern.

When we stop and rest, it gives us the space to observe and see what parts of our ship are healthy and which parts aren’t. Now, rest isn’t the space to deal with those things, but it’s certainly the place to become aware of those things and make the active choice to renew them. When we rest, we slow down enough to see the actual state of things. We can’t presume that just because we’re still sailing, everything is good.

For some, the reality is that you’re totally aware of those things under the surface, and that’s exactly why you won’t stop. Because you’re too fearful of dealing with them. No one likes to see the reality of their sin. No one likes to be reminded how fallen they are. It simply doesn’t feel good.

But your story, and my story, does not end there! It’s in this very place that the love and beauty and grace of Jesus’ death and resurrection shine brightest. It couldn’t be a clearer display, shouting, “YOU CAN BE TRANSFORMED AND MADE WHOLE!” Seeing your true state, and experiencing His true love is the very driving force that causes you to love Him more and follow Him further. “We love, because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19).

So, be wise and disciplined enough to stop. To rest. To become aware. Check yourself over in the reflection of God’s Word and renew the rotten areas, in His strength, through His Spirit.

Please, do not leave this space without doing something practical with what you’ve heard. James says that’s like looking in a mirror and forgetting what you look like when you’ve gone (James 1:24). What are you going to do about this?