God’s cure for weariness
Weary (adj.) Physically or mentally fatigued. Having one's interest, forbearance, or indulgence worn out. Extremely tired: bleary, dead, drained, exhausted, fatigued, rundown, spent, tired out, wearied, weariful, worn-down, worn-out.
It was a weariful week. It came right at the end of three months of draining ministry. I'd been looking forward to this week for months. I'd been telling myself that I just had to make it through the next month/week/day, and then I could rest.
As I spoke the final words of my final seminar, I could feel the burden lifting. Yes! Time for relaxation! But it seems God had other ideas. My week of rest turned out to be a week of sickness, exhaustion and discouragement.
Do you ever think like that? “Just this month and then I'll rest.” “It's been a hard year, but I'll be okay after our holiday.” “If I can just make it through the day, I'll put my feet up.” If you do, you'll know that things don't always turn out the way you expect. Sickness intervenes. Holidays disappoint. People interrupt.
At the end of my weariful week, I stole some time from child rearing to spend alone with God in his word. I looked up the word ‘weary’ and chased it through the cross-reference trails of my Bible. Here's some of the treasures I uncovered:
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. (Gal 6:9)
Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. (Heb 12:3)
Him we proclaim ... that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. (Col 1:28-29)
We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess 1:2-3)
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1 Cor 15:58)
Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. (Phil 2:17)
I won't claim that I felt any better by the end of my precious hour; I still felt tired and gloomy. But I was reminded that hard labour is part of loving God and others. I was reminded that to be poured out in God's service is not a bad thing. I was reminded that we're not on this earth for a little R&R. The time is short and we're on wartime footing (1 Cor 7:29).
Yes, we're creatures, not the Creator, and we need to take sensible rest, sleep and exercise, or else depression and sickness will bring us to our senses. Yes, it's important not to take on too many ministries (as I tend to do!), earning others' respect at the expense of our families. Yes, we should be joyously grateful to God for his gifts of relaxation and recreation. But we don't have a right to them.
I know that rest has become an idol for me when I find myself saying “I can get through this week but only if I have a rest next week”, or when I'm angry with my kids for disturbing my quiet evening, or when I'm in a black mood because I was sick during an eagerly anticipated holiday.
True rest isn't found in health spas, tropical vacations and peaceful days at home (wonderful gifts from God that they are!). Here is where true rest lies:
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
(Isa 40:30-31)Jesus declared, ... “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matt 11:25, 28-29)
And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!” (Rev 14:13)
Seek strength from the Lord. Rest in the grace of Christ. Set your heart on the rest to come.
It's good to make wise plans for quiet days, restful evenings, and regular holidays. But when my hopes are disappointed, I need to remember that true rest isn't found in the holiday I really need, but only in Jesus.
Jean, this is a wonderful post on the true meaning of rest. My friend and I were pondering this concept at church this evening and then I came home and found your post… God’s sovereignty never ceases to amaze!
Finding rest in the Lord makes sense when considering our entire relationship with God:
-we have peace with our creator, a great reason to be restful.
-this peace has been achieved through the work of Jesus. The work has been done, and just as God rested after 6 days of creating the world. we can surely rest now that Jesus has done his work.
-God is our refuge… we can rest in him.
-and I’m sure there are plenty more connections.
Thanks Jean!
Thanks, Mel, I’m glad you found it helpful.
Jean,
Oh, thank you! I really struggle with the whole idea of rest. Certainly I don’t struggle with being able to rest (I’m very good at it ... sometimes I wonder if sleeping is one of my spiritual gifts). And, as you say, of course we need sensible amounts of sleep, rest, exercise and refreshment. That’s common sense, and many of us are not very good at remembering or realising our human limits.
But when I read the New Testament, I don’t see many commands for us to rest more. Paul’s example is not primarily one of a man who makes sure he gets enough rest. In fact, I see just the opposite.
And therein lies my struggle. Thoughts?
Hi Emma,
My thoughts as I wrote this post(!) included hesitation about posting it because I know Christians from both sides of the “rest” equation: some who are naturally lazy and need to remember why we’re on this earth - to serve God and others, even at cost to our own rest; and some who overwork, don’t take enough rest, and don’t need more encouragement to do so!
I think some of us need to hear the message “work hard” and some of us need to hear the message “take regular rest”. Not because there’s some mythical place of balance between these two extremes, but because we should all be pouring ourselves out in God’s service, but at the same time making sure we don’t act in proud workaholism, as if we’re the Creator and don’t need the rest that God supplies. In other words, we all need to both work hard and take regular rest (although not view it as a right, and depend on God when we don’t get it).
What you say about Paul is right: he doesn’t seem to take much rest! Although I guess you can’t argue from silence. Jesus certainly took times away from the crowds to reflect and pray alone with his disciples. And while we’re not under the law, the fact that God gave his people 1 day in 7 to rest says something about how he made us - and also that he gave us good gifts like sleep, food and rest, and made us dependent on them, to remind us that we’re not God!
In Christ,
Jean.
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