the definition of rest.

Let's talk about rest. Being in college, this can become a luxury more than a normality. It seems as if every night is consumed with one thing or another whether it's with your sorority or fraternity, a club, a bible study, or even just studying. Often times, we can get caught in our busyness that we forget to take a moment and be still. And also with this, we can confuse our busyness and success as something that it's not. There's a Bob Goff quote that says this:

"It's easy to confuse our busyness with progress and accomplishments with pleasing Jesus. Get some rest."

Man is this accurate. I am the first to admit that I get caught up in believing that if I'm busy that means I'm succeeding at life. But here's the problem with this, and what Bob is emphasizing: our busyness and accomplishments are not what this life is about. We need to get some rest, and we can only find this in Jesus. We can obtain this rest through salvation. God does not judge you based on how many things you're involved in or how many times you've been recognized for being awesome. We're told time and time again in scripture that we are not the source of our salvation, but Jesus is.

Often times I find myself completely exhausted and I ask why. I usually blame it on my to-do list. "If I didn't have a lot to do, maybe I would be more restful." But rest isn't about doing nothing or taking lots of naps (though naps are good). Rest is described in the Bible as surrender. Being able to give everything that you hold close to the Lord and letting him be in control of your busyness is where we will find ultimate rest. But here is the awesome part: if you're in Christ, you already have rest. Your source of rest lives inside you! What a gift.

There's a part in Hebrews 4 that brings a lot of comfort to my heart when I feel like I cannot obtain rest. It reads:

9 "So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. 11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing through the divinity of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

God designed a WHOLE DAY that was designed to be dedicated to rest. He emphasizes that it's important, but we can only obtain it if we pursue it and acknowledge it within us. We are called to find rest in the Lord apart from our earthly responsibilities. God took a day of rest after he created everything, not because he needed it, but so he could dwell in his own glory. We are called to rest so that we can dwell in the glory of God. He is worthy of our praise and attention. It is through our reverence to him that we can find rest. We should meditate on his word. We should step away from our busyness and be still in the presence of the Lord. There is nothing on this earth than can give us more peace than God himself. He himself is the definition of peace. Seek him in times of busyness. You busyness and accomplishments are not what give glory to God, it is our willingness to rest. It is in our time of rest that we can eliminate all sources of distraction and focus solely on God and his glory.

Seek him first. Seek rest first. Seek his glory first.