Rest
The Levering family just returned from their family vacation. How was it? Busy! It was traveling 34 hours in the car. Going to 5 different destinations. Staying in 2 hotel rooms and 1 home. Attending 3 different churches. And seeing 2 former Northside families along the way. It was a great vacation. But, we were exhausted at the end of it. Please don’t misunderstand. I am so grateful for our vacation together. It was a great time. We enjoyed being together as a family with very few interruptions of work, life, or ministry. We enjoyed seeing things we had never seen. We enjoyed new experiences that we had never had. And it was so good to see old friends from years gone by (PS, the Blankenships, and the Sullivans both say “hi!”). We enjoyed worshipping with different churches.
And yet, I would not describe it as restful. In fact, in our “downtime” it seemed like we were just as busy, maybe busier, as ever. Can you relate?
There is a quote that goes something like this: “Never has a man needed a vacation as much as the man who has just completed one.” That’s pretty close to it.
What is it about we of Adam’s race that struggles so much with rest? God created Man on day six. God rested on day seven. So man was created in a perfect world and into the perfect eternal rest of God’s presence. But, since the fall, we have been in a continual state of restlessness.
As soon as sin enters the world, mankind is separated from God, and as a result is cursed with a restlessness within his spirit. Genesis 3 and beyond is the downward spiral of man into shame, blame, lying, murder, depravity, and wickedness we can’t even begin to imagine. All because of our restless condition. As CS Lewis said “Human history is the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.”
One of the most beautiful things about Jesus is His invitation to everyone found in Matthew 11:28-30: 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.”
The invitation is for everyone, not just a select few. It is extended to even the most restless of souls. And it is not to burden you with busyness, but to bless you with eternal rest for your soul.
Jesus is the true and better Sabbath. In a world that struggles to rest, even on vacation, may we fix our eyes on Him. For a world that is restless, and weary, He offers what we have been unable to have since we left Eden. He offers Himself as peace to our restless hearts and sustenance for our troubled souls.