A Gift from God

So I have been spending some time lately thinking about the concept of Rest. After recognizing that it is one of the Ten Commandments, I figured I needed to start being more intentional about resting.

To begin, here are a couple of brief Scriptural references to rest that kind of set the stage for my thoughts:
Genesis 2:1-3
Exodus 20:8-11
Mark 2:27

If you apply what Jesus said in Mark, you will realize that when God rested on the seventh day, he was giving mankind an incredible gift - the gift of Rest. Often times when I think about taking a Sabbath Rest, it feels more like a burden - just one more thing to beat myself over not doing.

But if you look at how our bodies are made, study the rhythms of life, and even examine the life of Christ, it becomes very apparent that we need rest. God meets our needs, right? He met our need for Rest in giving us the Sabbath. (Personally, I think he made it a commandment because the people of that age weren't resting.)

So what does taking a Sabbath Rest look like? I don't think we necessarily need to go to the extent that the Israelites went to in the Bible, but we do need to protect one day each week and devote it to resting. During that day, we need to:

1. let our bodies rest
• Physically stop moving. Sit or lie down. Kick up your feet and just stop moving.
2. let our minds rest
• Unplug! Take a break from the information overload we call the American Dream. Surround yourself with quiet and stillness.
3. let our spirits rest
•  Get alone. Withdraw from society, close your eyes, and take a deep breath. Concentrate on your emotions and force them to relax.
4. let our souls rest
• Plug in! Connect with Jesus. Talk to him, listen to him, simply be with him.

Taking (and making) time to Rest not only heals our bodies, minds, souls, and spirits, but it also prepares us to deal with life. Love your neighbor as yourself - you seek to meet the needs of your 'neighbor,' but you must also seek to meet your own needs too, and you need Rest.