Not long ago we decided it was time to begin thinking about some new sofas. Venturing into the furniture store was a feast for the eyes. A whole host of colour was on display along with different types of fabrics, shapes and sizes. Each time I trialled them, taking time to get a sense of the right feel. There were sofas I enjoyed sitting in, but nothing quite grabbed my full attention. Having wandered through what felt like the entire store, I finally found it… A brown leather sofa with fantastic comfort; and there I sat happily having found the seat I valued and appreciated the most.
Interestingly, when reading the Bible, God does not wait long to introduce us to rest. This is significant for this was one of the first foundations stones that He wanted us to find enrichment through. In fact, He was so happy with it, that He chose to do it Himself! In Genesis 2 verse 2, we read the conclusion of the Creation epic. Creation finds one of its crescendos as we read:
‘By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all His work’ (1).
After everything that God had done, having created the sun, moon, and stars. After creating his elephants and sparrows, He then sat down to enjoy them.
Rest is God’s idea.
Further, it is something that He enjoys because it gives Him opportunity to celebrate what He has been doing! His work on the earth had been started and ordered into existence; chaos discovered order at the sound of His Voice. Life sprang into being as God called it into being as seeds were sown enabling life to form.
How often do you celebrate the work that you have been doing? Just to clarify, that word was celebrate, not criticise! How easy it is to get lost in another put down. But let’s put those down for now, taking a moment instead to recognise that the innate value hold and which you give. If you have kids, it may be that you all have a roof over your heads because you fought hard against circumstances to ensure they were able to sleep somewhere safe. Maybe you endured some more put downs from your peers, just to ensure that you could continue growing in your chosen career. I remember a conversation with a former student I taught, who in her young years, had already overcome a series of challenges. During a parent’s evening that preceded her exams, I said to her that she had already passed her most significant exams through overcoming her adversities.
The fact that you may have made it here when it felt like everyone had given up and walked away, is something to celebrate and thank God for.
Right now, it’s good enough… Right now, its something to celebrate. You might wonder if it is worthwhile to be grateful? Research carried out by Dr Robert A. Emmons and Dr Michael E. McCullough involved dividing their participants into three research groups. The first party were asked to record the things that they were grateful for. The next were asked to record the things that upset them. A third group were given the task of reflecting upon the things that were influenced their mood, whether positively or negatively. After a ten week period, those who remained grateful for the things happening in their lives were notably more optimistic than their peers, but also even felt better health wise, demonstrated through less visits to their Doctors too(2)!
Could this be a good time to visit what gives you rest? During a time when my wife and I were busier than normal in our jobs, and knowing we found it difficult to connect at times, we began a different kind of ‘date night’. Finances did not always give room for another meal at the restaurant. Instead we would put on our walking shoes and take a walk to our local supermarket, which gave us time to catch up with each other’s weeks, talk about what was on our minds, and get some groceries all at the same time! It may seem silly, but for that period of time, that visit to the store was life giving.
In our 21st century view of self-pleasure, we have given up noticing the little things that can alter the trajectory of our daily lives. Finding the brown leather sofa was the thing that inspired moments of rest for me. That sofa was Sashi-shaped. It’s not everyone’s thing, but for me, that sofa worked. Have you found the ‘rest that works’ for you? We are not all stimulated by the same things. For some people rest involves taking a hike with a group of friends, for another it’s a book and a large mug of hot chocolate. There are those that just enjoy nothing more than to cook for the joy of others!
It may be that one of the reasons that you have less ‘rest’ right now is because you have traded your time in for ‘zombie scrolling syndrome’, a term coined by McAfee to describe the phenomenon of endlessly scrolling through the phone(3). Dr Don Grant has noted that many are kept close to their screens for the next dopamine hit(3). Further studies show connections between scrolling, anxiety and depression and even, poor sleep(4). At times it appears that we choose to ‘rest’ with things that actually multiply our inner struggles.
An intention of the kind of ‘rest’ that God chooses for us is to enable satisfaction, contentment and peace.
These stand in the face of overload, frustration and the pain caused through experiences of excessive anxiety. Implicit to God’s own engagement with rest was the deep sense of joy in what He was doing. Taking the time to stand back from our everyday rhythm to choose to be thankful for what we have gives us the opportunity to walk in our Father’s footsteps. Could this be your time to create a new family trail?
Root this now
A. Take an inventory of your current approach to ‘rest’. Consider doing this with friends or family. Get intentional (and maybe accountable too) about where you will invest your precious life.
B. Consider activating gratefulness? Would you consider recording daily the things that you are grateful for in your life, even the things that you don’t ordinarily notice? Consider doing this over an extended period and notice what the outcome is physically, emotionally and spiritually.
C. Have you been disqualifying yourself from rest, believing there are other’s far more important than you that Jesus is more interested in? Regardless of how you view yourself, if you recognise you are tired, overwhelmed and feeling undone, Jesus wants to offer your spirit, soul and body care. It maybe helpful, as an act of gratitude, to thank Him for what He has done or is doing in your life. You could start this simply by thanking Him for His goodness is dying for you (Ephesians 2:13), in wanting to engage in relationship with you (John 3:16) and His desire walk closely with you (John 14:16).
References
1. Genesis 2, New International Version
2. Harvard Health Publishing. (2021). ‘Giving thanks can make you happier’. Found at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier. Accessed 31/01/2024
3. Newport Institude. (2021). ‘The Scary Truth About How Zombie Scrolling Impacts Mental Health’. Found at: https://www.newportinstitute.com/resources/mental-health/zombie_scrolling/. Accessed 31/01/2024
4. Haynes, T. (2018). ‘Dopamine, Smartphones & You: A battle for your time’. Found at: https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2018/dopamine-smartphones-battle-time/. Accessed 31/01/2024
New Directions UK Blog.
Sashi Sehgal, January 2024