It’s time for the Olympics! Our Junior High students just got back from their winter retreat, and we jumped into the Olympic theme. Olympic athletes are constantly training in order to go for the Gold Medal. But they also need to rest their bodies. Without rest, athletes are not able to recover and grow stronger to compete at their best.
This work/rest reality is also true of our relationship with Christ. Today’s world is always focused on doing more. There is no room for resting. But the Bible says something quite different. We see spiritual rest show up within the first two chapters of Genesis. After creating the world, God rested. Later in the New Testament, we see Jesus emphasizing the importance of rest. Jesus was constantly making time to be alone with his Heavenly Father.
At the retreat we walked through the passage in Matthew 11, where Jesus tells us to come to him and find rest if we are weary or heavy-burdened. That is way easier said than done! If we are honest with ourselves, we typically don’t go to Jesus when we need rest. But he is the only one that can actually give us the spiritual rest we need to grow.
If you’re like me, you are probably thinking, “how do you find rest in Jesus?”
There are many ways that you can do this. One way that you can is by taking a sabbath day once a week. I’m sure many of you just gasped and said, “There is no way that I can have a Sabbath once a week.” The thought of spending 24 hours on things that are spiritually refreshing sounds impossible. There are emails, bills, and don’t get me started on kids activities! I understand life is busy, but the Lord has been giving me a passion for the Sabbath lately. The Sabbath is something that the church often ignores, yet there is something amazing about taking time to step away from the busyness of life and rest with God. God has been showing me that the Sabbath is crucial to my growth as a disciple. So I am taking a day for spiritual rest.
And I’m trying something else too. On retreat I challenged our teens to find time for spiritual rest every day. Here’s what I’m trying:
Mondays: I take time to memorize scripture
Tuesdays: I spend an extended time in His Word
Wednesdays: I prayer walk
Thursdays: I read books on theology, the church, and the Bible
Fridays: I take time to memorize scripture .
Saturdays is my Sabbath day, and I make it a priority to not check my emails or do anything related to work.
Sundays: I spend time resting in His presence and listening to worship music
Our Junior Highers are making time for spiritual rest throughout their week too!
How can you be resting in the Lord this week?
Chris Joines
Youth Intern of First Baptist Church of Davis California