How to get better at spiritual rest: what does the Bible really say about rest?
Hi friend, welcome to Part 2 of our series on rest. If you missed our introductory post, catch up here.
If you’re the gal awkwardly chasing rest like the person who just tripped over her own two feet and broke into a light jog to catch themselves from falling (and let’s be honest, playing it cool like they meant to do a quick fitness burst to level up their A-game), we might be kin 😉
Why is resting in the Lord so hard? And how do we get better at spiritual rest when we’re under a perpetual state of busyness?
It’s not that we don’t want to, but it’s also like: it would have been nice to have some practical guidance in the 21st Century when expectations are high and our mental capacities are in the garbage.
Whatever the case, navigating the context of what is good for our souls with the practicality of what our day to day lives look like requires a continual state of surrender on our part, and a filling of wisdom, discernment, and wholeness on His.
Friend, it’s not the getting to a season of rest that matters as much as the trusting in Him to lead us to those greener pastures.
We’re unclear on what the Bible says about rest
Most of us are familiar with Matthew 11:28-30 :
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
verse 28, NIV
But I’ll be honest, I’ve often struggled to know what or how to rest in an invisible God.
Is it sitting in quiet?
Is it napping?
Is it using our hands to cultivate life in a garden?
Is it worship?
No rest for the weary
Oftentimes, we shove our circumstances into the context of the Bible to decide the meaning.
But that can lead us astray.
Instead, we’ve gotta peel back the onion of the Word and trust the Spirit to guide us in our understanding of who Christ was talking to and why he spoke these words in the first place.
Then, like an old school elementary projector, we can take the clear transfer sheets of His word and overlay it atop our circumstances—not the other way around.
- Approach the Word in humility
- Address the context with the Spirit
- Apply to life with discernment and community
When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock
If you’re in a state of feeling overwhelmed all the time, getting into the Word is most likely your biggest hurdle in experiencing the restorative rest you seek out.
So, let me lead you to the rock and we’ll do it together!
Let’s look at Matthew 11:28-30 again:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
NIV
We know what comfort Jesus provides for us: we assuredly cling to the words “rest”, “easy”, and “light”.
If we stop there, our next question is how, how Lord do I feel that inside?!
But I believe we’ve got the order flipped.
Remember:
- Approach the Word in humility
- Address the context with the prompting of the Spirit
- Apply to life with discernment and community
In order for us to understand what the Bible says about rest, we’ve gotta first remove ourselves from the conversation and see the people who first experienced His word.
Making sense of ‘my yoke is easy and my burden is light’
It’s important for us to jump back to the beginning of Matthew 11 to help us more fully understand the latter.
At this time, Jesus commissions the Twelve and sends them out to teach to their towns (Matthew 11:1).
Then, we read that John the Baptist heard of what Jesus was doing from his prison cell and sends a messenger to ask, “Are you the one who is to come?” (Matthew 11:3).
As a response, Jesus not only reports word to John’s disciples (Matthew 11:4-6), but also addresses the crowd of the work that John has done.
And in a not so positive light, Jesus calls out the doubters and scoffers of John’s ministry, and subsequently who Jesus is and what he came to do.
Anyone who has ears, let them hear
In the crowd, Jesus knew exactly who he was talking to and the double-edge sword of what was to come (Matthew 11:16-24):
- The religious hypocrites who were going to doubt Him no matter what would continue to mock and denounce Him
- Those unlikely people on the margins who saw Him for who he was—the Christ, would hear what he came to preach because the Kingdom is built on humility, not hypocrisy!
Finally, the text segues into a beautiful prayer from Jesus (Matthew 11:25)—
“I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.”
NIV
Jesus prays for and comforts those in the crowd who are outcasts, abused, unwanted, under-valued, broken, and given no permission to take up space in their communities.
Have you ever been in a meeting or gathering where truth and hope were spoken that filled your cup, but as you walked away, others in the same space would grumble and complain?
How is it that you left hopeful and they left negative, distracted, or mocking?
Come to me, and I will give you rest.
What rest looks like for us in light of Jesus
Dear one, when the Lord of Lords invites us to rest under His yoke, I believe He’s inviting us to a deep intimacy that recognizes the stark sense of alienation we often feel when living in a world that’s not our home.
I believe what Jesus was speaking over the hearing crowd that day, and to us too, is hope.
Rest can be sleep, creating, hiking, or a separation from our screens.
But rest can and is a filling of our soul—a loving reminder and promise that that dumpster fire of a world over there isn’t the end for us.
We belong somewhere, to someone who is not requiring us to check all the boxes and jump through the endless hoops.
No.
What Jesus offers is a soft place for us to land when we are weary of seeing evil prevail.
He is humble instead of harsh, and He’s willing to teach us, not ostracize us when we’re toddlers learning how to transition from crawling to walking.
Scriptures on rest
Dig into these Scripture on rest. What do you notice about the context of the time? What are the people at odds about? What is God or Jesus’ character like? Finally, how does the Word influence your narrative today?
Matthew 11:28-30 [covered in this post]
Prayer for Rest
Father God, thank you for offering us a hope that goes beyond this world full of sorrow and brokenness. When we are overwhelmed and restless, help us to hear you above the noise. Anchor our wandering hearts to your gentle and humble ways. When we are mocked, may we rest securely in you. When evil seems to prevail, may we rest under your yoke of comfort. Thank you for speaking to us through your Word. Amen.
Monet is a wife, mom, writer and entrepreneur, living the messy, unspoken parts of life openly and imperfectly.
With the help of coffee and courage, Monet helps women live purposed and embrace wholeness, despite that pesky thing we call brokenness.
After enduring her own seasons of hardship and loss, Monet launched Purposed Box, a monthly subscription box helping the everyday woman encounter Jesus in her every day!
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