Be still and know...

I am not sure about you but my personal experience in life is not “be still and know” but rather live busy lives and then not know why we live busy lives. Society drives this compulsion to live a life that is busy as if busyness gives meaning and value to life.

The God of the universe created the world, life and humanity. His power, capacity, creativity, gifting, knowledge, opportunity is endless and yet he still made time to be still. He rested.

Genesis 2:2-3

2 And (A)on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

We all have ideas about rest, sabbath, a day off but do we follow our great shepherds example and put great value on that rest? Do we take the time to “be still and know that He is God”. Sabbath rest is not a day of saying no to life but rather a day to say yes to the true meaning of a life dependent on our father, our creator, our shepherd, our lord, our saviour.

When Mark first initiated the idea of having a weekly sabbath, 6 years ago, I was not 100% on board, I am embarrassed to admit. It sounded impossible. How do you have 24 hours of doing nothing with four young kids. All I saw were the hurdles: cooking ahead of time enough food for 24 hours, have all House jobs done so there is no work to do, say no to every invitation, entertain the kids without entertainment as an option, eat a feast in candle light with delight, no clean up (so live with mess without letting it bug you) and do it all with joy, delight oh yeah and rest!! It seemed impossible.  

I did not have any vision or revelation of the glory of communion with God. I missed the wonder of freely saying yes to: feasting with my family in gratitude to God for sustaining us for another week, freely taking everything as slow as we wanted, freely including friends to share some or all of the time with us, freely engaging with my kids in unhurried time to just be together, freely being with my husband, freely saying yes to unhurried time with God. Whether we recognise it or not God is sustaining our lives, working perfectly for our good. Rest time/ Sabbath is there for us in the seasons of much and in the seasons of little. Rest time/ Sabbath is there for us in seasons of delight and in season of mourning. Rest time/Sabbath is there for us in the season of singleness, married life, young family, or a family multiplying. Rest time/Sabbath is there for us when we are chasing dreams and visions and times when we are bored senseless. Rest in Him is always available. Do we have responsibilities, absolutely. So did Christ and yet he prioritised rest with God.

Matthew 11: 28-30

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

There are helpful rhythms and practices we have discovered to curate a space of rest for our ever changing family. Sharing them would be a privilege but please know this is not exhaustive. Part of Sabbath/ Rest is finding in God how to rest best and what that looks like for the agar and stage of your family of life.

Practices:

• Rest for the body: what activities help you rest? It could going for bush walks or hikes, time at the beach come rain or shine, games night or getting a few friends together to play a game or activity. And let me add intimacy in marriage is very good for the body, mind and soul!
• Rest for the mind: what spaces, people help you rest? Community is a great way to help rest your mind. Having a coffee with a friend, cooking a meal with friends and enjoy a slow pace to creating a feast together, exploring a aspect of your character that you have not given time to, or maybe writhing down some thoughts in your head you keep ignoring.
• Rest for the soul: what spiritual habits help you rest? Worship, meditative prayer, reading the scriptures in an unhurried way, being with the family of God, laughter is always good for the soul or nap (naps can very spiritual).  

Again this is not an exhaustive list and we are all very different. If you are married then ask your partner what helps them rest. Think about your kids, it may not be loving to make them sit through a slow reading of Leviticus as there rest. Think about your week and put it in. Sabbath is not convenient but it is good. Sabbath is not easy (always) but it is worth it. Sabbath is not understood but you will gain much understanding of life through practicing it. Sabbath, rest in Him is a gift from God all we “have to do” is accept it. I appeal to you brothers and sisters in Christ if we are truly going to be the light into this world then we should be unhurriedly drawing from our true source of light often.

Psalm 46: 10

“Be still and know....” Rest in His strength, His joy, His grace, His forgiveness, Hisfaithfulness, His wisdom, His peace, His plan, His love, His life, Rest in His Rest!