A friend requested prayers for rest and peace, and the way the
request was worded clearly revealed the desperate need and the truth of it.
This was not a drama moment seeking to feed the jones of an attention junkie
but a cry for help. Of course, I have been praying for him since, but I also
began thinking that he is most certainly not unique or alone. The world is out
of control, and in every direction there are messages of fear and responses of
anger or panic, and if you only hear and see those who post most or yell the
loudest, the divisions between us all seem to be getting worse rather than
better. It feels like we are in the eve of destruction, and no one can figure
out how to keep the guy next to him from opening the gift that sets it off. We
of course, think we know the best path forward, but it looks to our neighbor
like we’re the one with the dangerous gift on destruction’s eve.
So, the whole world reacts to the world reacting, which
leads to more reaction at a greater intensity until all we hear is the feedback
loop of fear and anger getting worse and worse. There is no peace, so how can
we rest? Well, first, get quiet. Not don’t speak or cry out or ask for help,
but rather don’t add more input into the cycle of anger and reasons we should
all fear. Is that the solution? No, but you can’t apply any solution and
simultaneously add to the problem. Stop feeding the beast.
Next, stop chasing peace and rest. It seems
counter-intuitive, but when to chase these things, we are running after the
results instead of seeking the source that provides the results. I know it’s
like the hottest part of August right now but bear with me and imagine or
remember if you will what it is like to be outside in the cold of winter. You’re
freezing cold and desire little more than warmth. We can bundle up or move
around, but the best way to truly warm up is to get close to a source of heat.
Warming is not a result of finding warmth, but rather of finding a source of
protection from the cold and of drawing near to something putting off heat.
When it comes to peace and rest, our instinct is control. If
we control what it making us anxious, then it won’t make us anxious anymore,
right? Wrong. Control is an illusion, and in our hearts we know this. The more
we try to control what can’t be controlled, the more out of control everything
feels, the more we twist ourselves into knots and the less rest we find.
Jesus said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke
is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) The work that burdens us
is the work of trying to control what we can’t control, ourselves and others.
Basically, it boils down to the weight of trying to save ourselves. But when we
step into the yoke of Christ, He does the work, and we are walking along with
Him at rest because the weight of what needs to be done is no longer on us.
Hebrews tells us to strive to enter the rest o God, which
tells us two things. First, there is a rest that we can enter. Second, we have
a part, something to strive for. Our part is to stop our work to save ourselves
and control everything. This passage, chapter 4 of Hebrews, is speaking of the
Sabbath rest of God, where we stop our labor and rest in Him. We trust God. It
sounds simple, but sometimes the simplest answers are the best. Rest and peace
and joy and hope are all fruits of the Spirit. To truly have them, we must draw
near to and allow the Spirit of God to work in us. Peace comes through
surrender and rest comes to those who no longer fight for control we don’t
really have in the first place.
This has gotten long, so to sum up, if you are desperate for
peace and need rest, the answer is Jesus. Draw near to Him. The peace in the
midst of the storm, the peace that is true though makes little sense according
to the situation (that passes understanding), is found in relationship with
Christ and in seeking our refuge and safety and hope in Him. He came to set the
captives free, and that includes freedom from worry and fear and hopelessness.
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