REST

call to rest is just as needed. “Anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest.”2

Maybe you, like me, are at the point where your soul needs rest. I really need it. I need to let Jesus lead me to green pastures and restore my soul, but how can this happen when I’m always rushing, worrying, doing, and stressing? If I were to describe modern culture in one word, it would be “stress.” So much that we hold dear is the opposite of calm, peace, and still. And we pay for it through burnout, addiction, loneliness, and brokenness. We who have learned this culture go on to teach it to our children.

But God tells us there is another way: there remains a Sabbath-rest for the people of God. How do you get that rest? Jesus tells us: “Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Accept my teachings and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest for your lives.”3 When we come to Him and learn from Him, this Sabbath-rest is a promise to us.

Marie Alvero is a former missionary to Africa and Mexico. She currently lives a happy, busy life with her husband and children in Central Texas, USA. ■