The Gift of Rest: Reclaiming God's Rhythm for Your Life

Here's a sobering question to start your day: Other than God, who will remember you 100 years from now?

Probably no one.

While that might sound discouraging at first, it's actually liberating. This perspective helps us prioritize what truly matters in the present. When we align our lives with God's purposes—following Him, being transformed by Him, joining His mission—our impact ripples far beyond our lifetime. We invest in people, point them to Jesus, and help them grow in ways that continue long after we're gone.

But here's the uncomfortable follow-up question: How much of what fills your calendar right now actually matters for eternity?
Think about everything you did last month. Consider what's coming in the weeks ahead—spring sports, work commitments, social obligations. How much of that frantic activity contributes to your eternal impact? What could you eliminate today?

The Thief vs. The Life-Giver

We live in a spiritual reality where more is happening than we can see. Jesus made this clear in John 10:10: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the fullest."

We have an enemy who wants to derail us, keeping us focused on the wrong things so our lives become meaningless, leading to destruction and death. But Jesus came to offer something radically different—not the American dream of accumulating stuff and doing whatever we want, but abundant life the way God designed it.

Did Jesus live an abundant life? Absolutely. Yet His life was marked by suffering, difficulty, and trial. As He trusted God and walked with Him, His life became profoundly meaningful with eternal impact. Jesus shows us that God has a plan for life that truly matters, but we must examine our hearts and motives. What drives us? How much of our calendar reflects His mission versus our own kingdom-building?

The Creator's Blueprint for Balance

From the very beginning, God established a rhythm for human flourishing. In Genesis 1, we see God creating the world over six days, and then something remarkable happens: "By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy."

God wasn't resting because He was exhausted. He rested because He had completed what He set out to do. He made the seventh day holy—set apart—as a reminder of who He is. This day models for us a balanced life with a 6:1 ratio: six days of work, one day of rest.
Work itself isn't a curse. God created us to work, to build, to plan, to reflect His image through our activity. But He also commands us to rest, and when we lose this pattern, consequences follow. Our mental health suffers. Our physical health deteriorates. Our relationships strain. A frantic, busy lifestyle impacts every area of our lives.

Think of it like baking. When you follow a good recipe, you get a good outcome. When you follow God's blueprint for life, you get a good outcome. When you ignore the recipe and improvise, results are usually disappointing. Are we willing to submit to God's design, or do we think we know better than He does?

Three Dimensions of Rest

Scripture describes rest in three interconnected ways:

Rest in Salvation: We don't earn our way into relationship with God. Salvation is a gift received through grace and faith in Christ. Hebrews 4 describes this as entering God's rest—an eternal reality we can begin experiencing now. Like Adam and Eve, whose first full day on earth was a Sabbath, we don't earn this rest. It's a gift reminding us that God is King and this is His story.

Rest as Refreshment: In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus invites us: "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." Jesus offers to carry the weight, to refresh and renew our perspective as we do life with Him.

Sabbath Rest: This is the practice of ceasing, stopping, slowing down to remember who God is. In Mark 2:27, Jesus clarifies: "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." It's not about checking religious boxes but receiving God's gift—a reminder that we're not the primary source of our own provision. God is.

The Manna Principle

The story of manna in Exodus 16 beautifully illustrates God's heart for rest. After delivering
Israel from Egypt, God provided bread from heaven each morning. His instructions were specific: collect what you need for the day because He would provide again tomorrow. Don't hoard because it will rot.

But on the sixth day, they were to collect double, and miraculously, it wouldn't spoil. Why? So they could rest on the seventh day without working. God was reorienting a people who had been slaves for 400 years, teaching them that He is their provider, their King, their
Master who gives the gift of a day off each week.

The question remains: Do we trust Him enough to stop?

The Unbelief That Steals Our Rest

Hebrews 3:19 explains why the Israelites never entered the Promised Land: "They were not able to enter, because of their unbelief." The same is true for us. We don't enter the rest God offers because we don't really believe His way works.

This unbelief manifests in several ways:

Workaholism: We become consumed with accomplishing, gathering, achieving—usually driven by how others view us. We forget we're already secure in Christ and don't need to earn God's approval.

Escapism: We prioritize things unrelated to God's Kingdom, escaping reality through excessive hobbies, media consumption, or fantasy, rather than believing God is sufficient for our present challenges.

Seeking First His Kingdom

Jesus cuts through our anxiety with clear direction in Matthew 6:33: "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
In uncertain economic times, with inflation rising and housing costs soaring, it's tempting to work multiple jobs, hustle endlessly, and skip the rhythms God established for our good.
But Jesus calls us to put Him first, trusting that as we do life His way, He will provide.

Practical Steps Forward

Are you willing to examine your calendar and prioritize time with God? Jesus, our model, got away from ministry daily to spend time with His Father. Despite all the pressures—whether raising kids, making big work decisions, or navigating life's challenges—are you spending daily time with God?

Are you prioritizing real relationships with other believers? Are you actively part of His mission? Do you have a Sabbath—a day each week when you stop, slow down, celebrate, and remember who God is?

As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:12, "I have the right to do anything, but not everything is beneficial." We have freedom in Christ, but not everything is good for us. Don't be mastered by your calendar, your boss, or your budget. Be mastered by our good God and do life His way.

The abundant life Jesus offers isn't found in doing more. It's found in trusting more, resting more, and aligning our rhythms with the One who created us. One hundred years from now, what will matter is not how busy you were, but how faithfully you followed Him.