The Paradox of Rest and Restlessness
Our lives reflect the paradox of rest and restlessness.
We get an extra day and a long weekend, only to fill the days we should rest with activity, so we return to work tired.
The psalmist asks repeatedly, "Why are you discouraged, my soul? Why are you so restless?"
King David reflected in Psalm 55:6-8,
‘I said, “If only I had wings like a dove—I would fly away and find rest.
Indeed, I would run far away. I would stay in the desert.
I would hurry to find shelter from the raging wind and storm.”’
The raging wind and storm are like the hectic schedules and pressure we face daily at work. While we may not fly away, we can seek daily and weekly rest to find shelter and refuge in God.
Our souls cry out for rest, yet our spirits are restless. We work, we spend time with family, we sleep. We repeat the cycle, yet do we ever truly rest?
Do we experience what the sabbath promises, a period of refreshing for our bodies and blessing for our souls?
Rest is like white space, an essential design element in fine art and design.
If we believe work is worship, isn’t rest as essential to our worship as the work we do?
God rested on the seventh day to reflect on and enjoy his work. Is your time of rest — of Sabbath — an obligation or an expression of love? The Sabbath is more than a state of rest; Sabbath is a state of mind.
There’s no need to live in haste. Do you find time during your week for deep, worshipful rest and reflection that allows your soul to thrive?
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