Unknotted Rubber Band: Rest
We live a world that wants us to live a 24/7 life. This path stretches for miles without one rest stop in sight. God created humans to have rest and God built in a day of rest. Jesus chose a 7/24 attitude in a 24/7 world: Jesus put into motion what he hear from God: Rest. Pray. Love. Live for others. Matthew 7:24 says, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them is like a wise person who built their house on the rock.”
How do you have a Sabbath Rest in a world that is always ON? 24/7 news cycles. Weather Channel updates the local forecast every 10 minutes around the clock. My Apple watch not only tells me the time, I have an urgent care center on my wrist. Plus, a minute-by-minute anticipated rainfall for the day. Right now, as I stop to check my heart rate on my watch it is 72 BPM. Perfect. What about that smartphone? All the social media platforms entertain or numb our emotions. What started out as brief visit on Instagram turns into a two-hour time watching never-seen-before antics of dogs and cats. Where did the time go? And why am I unable to “rest from my labors?”
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God (Exodus 20:8-10).
Work demands. Family obligations. Hobbies to entertain. As a matter of fact, who has time to enjoy hobbies, let alone rest? The 24-hour day, 7 days a week grind feels daunting. Sabbath rest slips away like a greased pig in a 4-H greased pig contest at the Ross County Fair.
My present season of life finds me in a place where time and Sabbath rest co-exist. In other words, I desire to use my body and soul movements, those restful moments, to experience God’s presence in my life every day. Bessel Van Der Kolk writes, “Our sense of ourselves is anchored in a vital connection with our bodies. We do not truly know ourselves unless we can feel and interpret our physical sensations (The Body Keeps Score, 274).” Sabbath rest gives a person time to rest and listen to the physical body. It is like slowly unwinding a knotted rubber band. What does Sabbath rest look like? One definition for a Christian is the first day of week (Sunday) to rest from the tyranny of the urgent and the dreary workweek and give a person’s soul the time to respond to the divine. I would like my readers to contemplate another layer to a Sabbath perspective: Give your mind and emotions rest by using positive self-talk and self-compassion, be kind to yourself. And here is how Jesus would say it, 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.(Matthew 11:28-29). God calls with a gentle and gracious voice to help relax the mind and remind the pilgrim on the path that God walks with them on their journey.
The weeks as a local pastor were different than the weeks I have now as a pastoral counselor. As a pastor I was always on. Always ready for the next crisis. Always anticipating the next spiritual need. Always emotionally exhausted. I may have had a day off from being a local pastor, but my mind and emotions still boiled with activity. My soul forgot how to rest. I realized my body and emotions were addicted to the habits and voices wanting me to work 24/7.
Today, as a pastoral counselor my schedule has changed. I have different demands throughout the week which I have greater autonomy. However, I find myself wrestling with thoughts of unrest: “You are running out of time. There is an urgent matter that needs your attention. You have no time to rest.” These thoughts are not true. My internal unrest tempts me to work without rest. However, I realized I needed to make “time” be my friend and not my antagonist. It is healthy to carve out time rest mentally and physically. The tyranny of the urgent need not be the master of your time.
Believe it or not you do have a choice. You can find rest for your body, mind, and soul. God has given you the free will to put into motion what you hear from God. Jesus said, For my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Matthew 11:30). Observing a Sabbath rest, being intentional with your positive self-talk, ensures that you are never more than heartbeat away from God’s perspective and presence. Sabbath keeping gives you the time to set priorities – for a day, week, month, or year. May you find rest for you soul in the peace of God.