I recently asked my friends on Facebook,”What are some habits you have that allows you to REST?”
Lots of things were mentioned. Soaking in a tub. Reading a good book. Laying out in the sun. Being in God’s creation. Just staying home. Coloring and crochet. Sleep. No electronics.
What about you? What do you love to do that allows your mind and heart to rest? Although all those activities are amazing and good for our soul. Our circumstances will constantly be changing. Planning some quiet time once a day, a week, or even just once a month is very very important.
Being at rest is less about daily rituals and more of a soul’s habit. Bubble baths are good, but if our minds live in fear and our hearts are characterized by anxiety, not amount of bubbles in the world will calm our souls. Proverbs 4:23 says: “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” For a restful life, we must begin with a restful heart.
The following seven habits are not for our hands, but our hearts.
Seven Habits of Resting
1. Come to God. Your life will not find rest without God. Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden. We find rest when we come to Jesus. He is inviting us to join the fellowship and love He shares with the Father. Focus your heart on God. Delight yourself in Him. Find rest when you come to Him.
2. Communion with Christ. Friendship and fellowship with Jesus is vital for the heart to find rest. Yes, He invites us to come, but to come into friendship with Himself and the Father. Center your life around Christ. The Gospel is good news for everyday. You are loved. You are forgiven. You have grace. Everyday. Find rest in daily communion with Christ.
3. Confession of sin. One of the reasons I can feel anxious is because I have unconfessed sin in my life. Be quick to confess. When we confess our sins, we find that He is so faithful and just to forgive us of all our our unrighteousness. Find rest in confession.
4. Contentment. When I think about those around me who are at rest, I see contentment. Contentment in their possessions. Contentment in their relationships. Contentment in their circumstances. Comparison is truly the thief of joy. A deep sense of peace and joy follow those who are content. Godliness with contentment is great gain. Find rest in contentment.
5. Can Say No. Seasons come and go for when we say “yes” to certain things. If you find yourself spent and exhausted saying “yes” to everyone and every situation, I highly recommend Lysa TerKeurst’s book “The Best Yes.” Those who learn to say “No” or “Not right now” find rest.
6. Concentrate on the eternal. Only two things last forever. (1) God’s Word. (2) People. Fixing our eyes on these two things will keep our hearts at rest. Invest in people. Invest in spreading God’s Word. It will be the only two things following us to Glory. Find rest in concentrating on the eternal.
7. Confident in the Future. Remember who has your heart. Remember who holds your life in His hands. Keep your heart focused, not on the unknown of the future, but the One who holds the future. Keep your mind and heart steady on Him. He is enough for you to trust. Rest in confidence, because our God truly is enough.
I encourage you to begin to developing a heart of rest. It won’t come overnight. You can see this isn’t a checklist to a rest-filled life. It is a beginning. For you. For me. We can always start today.
Which of the seven habits do you find the most challenging for you? Please share! I read every comment and would love to hear your thoughts!
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Great post! thanks for sharing! For me the hardest is remembering the eternal. We are so connected to this earthly world- have our activities and our families things to do. Need to always remember that heaven is the goal- and telling others about it!
This is so beautifully written and you give some wonderful examples. I often find that when times are hectic, I need a quite place (even if it is standing in front of the washing machine for an extra 5 minutes!) to have a conversation with God. This leaves me feeling rested and at peace and ready to tackle the next challenge. Hope you have a wonderful week!
~Laurie
Excellent suggestions! I loved your FB question. When I get off electronics and let my mind calm down, I am more able to easily enter the presence of God.
I need to do so much better with this. Thanks for sharing and giving me good ideas.
Yes…resting. I start with a cup of coffee, my bible and my journal. Moments of being in nature also helps. Great points.
What a great list! I am truly learning to say no… and reminding myself that just because there is a need does not mean there is a calling!
Oh Stasia – I love that: Just because there is a need, doesn’t mean there is a calling.” – There will always be needs…..its finding what needs Jesus would have us fill! Blessings and thanks for reading!
This list is so true. I have learned that the best thing for me to do is to simply talk to God about what is causing me to be restless and worried. I think the hardest things for me on this list are comparing myself to others and saying no. I started reading Lysa’s book, but never finished it. Maybe I should!
Yes, Emily you should definitely finish reading Lysa’s book – I need to reread it!
REST doesn’t come easy to me but I am learning. Lying quietly on the couch, with my Kindle constitutes good rest for me. No noise, phones, distractions – maybe playing a mindless game. Just being quiet is so soul worthy! Visiting from TWW, you are my neighbor, I’m #5.
These are words to live by, Sarah, “For a restful life, we must begin with a restful heart.” Thank you, Sarah, for sharing your heart and words of wisdom at #IntentionalTuesday on Intentionally Pursuing. : )
Thanks for sharing these wonderful reminders! I’ve been really trying to concentrate on the eternal these days. Focusing on what really matters helps to relieve stress for me. xx #shinebloghop
Thank you Sarah. I’ve just started reading “Simply Tuesday” by Emily Freeman. It’s already helping me to be still and find contentment in the everyday. Thank you for your reminders.
Thanks for sharing these….and love how they are all C’s, helps the memory.
Love to you,
Jasmine
Hey Sarah,
What a good word today! I like this line from your post, “Godliness with contentment is great gain. Find rest in contentment.” We are finding that to be true in our lives – rest follows contentment.
We are about to take a rest – both physically and spiritually. Heading up to the lake to celebrate an anniversary. Plan to do much resting and refreshing in the Lord.
Came over today on Grace and Truth.
Hope you have a blessed weekend~
Melanie
Thank you for sharing this and linking up! These are such good reminders. I would say that sometimes concentrating on the eternal can be a difficult one. When the here and now is loud and pushy and wants me to think that’s it’s all there is, I can forget that I may have my focus on something that is not really all that important in the long run!