Christian Living

3 Ways to Find Rest

Rest.  The idea of rest stands out to me as a college student who’s constantly trying to juggle assignment due dates with family and church responsibilities.  Sometimes rest can be equated with breaks in my mind – winter break, spring break, summer break.  I’ll rest when a break comes, but right now I have too much to do to rest. 

Hebrews 4 is all about rest, warning believers to not fall short of God’s promised rest:

Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. Hebrews 4:1

Rest matters to God, but not just any rest – His rest.  What is His rest, why is rest important, and how do we enter it? 

After warning against coming short of entering God’s rest, the chapter goes on to explain that not entering God’s rest has to do with unbelief. 

For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, “As I swore in My wrath, They shall not enter My rest,” although His works were finished from the foundation of the world. Hebrews 4:2-3

God intended for His people to have rest even back in the garden of Eden with the seventh day being set aside for rest (see Gen. 2:2-3).  When Adam and Eve sinned, they lost that perfect rest God had provided for them, and Israel fell into the same trap of failing to find rest because of disobedience to God.  People today do the same thing – they hear the good news but do not enter God’s rest due to unbelief. Those who believe enter His rest.

For He has said somewhere concerning the seventh day: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; and again in this passage, “They shall not enter My rest.” Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience, He again fixes a certain day, “Today,” saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, “Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.” For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.  Hebrews 4:4-10

God gave a Sabbath rest to His people, but they had to enter it; disobedience led to not entering God’s rest, but having soft hearts toward God’s voice led to entering His rest.  This call still applies to believers today – we are called to rest from our works like God did from His.

 Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Hebrews 4:11-13

We must be diligent to take God’s offer of rest and not fall into disobedience.  One thing that stands out to me in this chapter is the emphasis on obedience being required for rest.  And how is obedience learned?  Through the Word of God.  I used to be confused by the transition this chapter made from talking about rest to talking about God’s Word, but now I realize that obedience is learned through the Word of God, and the Word of God teaches us how to enter God’s rest. 

Why does rest matter?  In an age of busyness and productivity, taking time to rest can seem like a bad move.  But God designed us to need rest – our bodies need sleep, our muscles need rest days to recover from workouts, and our brains need breaks from constant stimulation.  If the sabbath rest was instituted at creation, then it makes sense that we still need rest today.  Jesus also made sure His disciples took time to rest from the busyness of the crowds in Mark 6:30-32. 

So, what’s the difference between rest and God’s rest?  The world equates rest with vacations, screen time, “me time,” and basically any self-focused activity.  But is this the same rest God calls us to?  There are three ways for Christians to find God’s rest:

1: Rest is found in His presence. 

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, 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. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”  Matthew 11:28-30

And He said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14

True rest is found in Christ.  We may find temporary rest with a nap, movie, or book, but if we want refreshment, we must go to Christ.  His rest is soul-deep, not just physical. 

You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever. Psalm 16:11

The presence of God brings life, full joy, and pleasures forever.  There is no better place to find rest than in His presence. 

2: Rest is found in fellowship with other believers. 

Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints; so that I may come to you in joy by the will of God and find refreshing rest in your company. Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen. Romans 15:30-33

Paul asked the Roman believers to pray for his deliverance so that he could visit them and find rest in their company.  Paul often mentions finding refreshment in the company of believers (1 Cor. 16:18; 2 Tim. 1:16; Phile. 1:7, 20).  Spending time in fellowship with other believers offers rest through worshipping the Lord together, praying together, and encouraging one another in the Lord.  I know I have found great refreshment and had my faith built through deep conversations with other believers. 

3: Rest is found in a sabbath rest. 

“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy. Exodus 20:8-11

In a world that idolizes busyness and productivity, having a sabbath day where one rests from work can be daunting to many people.  When I was studying for Bible Bee nationals in 2017, I did not rest from studying on the Sabbath because I was studying and memorizing the Bible. Those were godly things, so why rest from that?  The thing was, while I was learning wonderful things from God’s Word, it was a lot of hard work being put in for a competition, not restful time in God’s presence. The next year, I felt convicted by God to not learn any new material for Bible Bee on the Sabbath and to instead spend time in His presence and rest.  I was worried about this plan – it was my last year of Bible Bee and I really wanted to do well, but  I surrendered it to God and chose not to learn any new material on the Sabbath during that nationals season.  And you know what?  It went amazing!  I found that having a rest day helped me memorize Scripture passages and facts about the study book more quickly, and the Sabbath felt much more restful.  The sabbath rest ended up being a blessing I did not know I needed for my nationals studying. 

The sabbath rest is not meant to be a burden or a hinderance; it is a blessing from God to step away from the cares of this world and rest in His presence.  This is meant to be the fuel getting us through each week.  Let us not miss out on this blessing. 

I hope you have been encouraged today through this discussion of rest.  Let us not neglect to find true rest in God’s presence.  In His presence we find joy, hope, love, and peace, and that is the best kind of rest to have. 

With love,

Kelsey