Rest! Ahhhhhhh!!!

This morning when the elliptical machine at the gym was trying to kill me I thought to myself: “I have been on this thing for 30 minutes and have not moved forward one inch! What am I doing? I need to rest!” I finished my workout and stopped to rest for a couple of minutes and then I sat down on the abs machine. Notice I sad abs! Right now I have a “one pack.” My goal is to have more than one! I set the machine on 110 pounds and started my routine. I made it to 20 reps. I’m sure the look on my face indicated that I needed to rest…and I did. I rested for about 30 seconds and started the second set of reps. I made it to 20 again; this time with sweat dripping off the end of my nose. I stopped and rested again. Now, I was on my final set. My goal was to make 10 more reps for a total of 50. I made it! Then I rested for about 1minute and started to work out my chest muscles. During the course of the morning at the gym, I took several minutes just to rest between exercises and weight machines.

I have met Christians who approach their Christian life the way I approached resting in the gym this morning. They will get very excited about a project or ministry in their church. They will go at it like gang busters for a while and then – POOF! Where did they go? It’s as if they disappeared. In reality what has happened is that they are resting. They get tired. Some people call it being “burned out.” I’m always cautious of folks who operate in their Christian lives this way because their actions are a sure fire sign that they are operating in their own strength instead of “resting” in Jesus!

Look at what our Lord said in Matthew 11:28, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (NKJV)

I have studied this passage numerous times but have never noticed the word “give.” It jumped out at me this morning. Jesus said that he wanted to “give” us rest. Resting is a gift from Jesus? YES!! But, not the kind of rest I described earlier. It’s not about resting between projects or works that we do in service to the Lord. The rest Jesus gives is a state of mind; a REALITY for all times.

I have finally come to understand what “resting” means when it comes to my relationship with Jesus. The rest that Jesus GIVES is understanding who I am in Christ. The rest that Jesus gives is understanding what I have in Christ and living out my life in HIM rather than “trying” to live the Christian life. It is impossible for YOU and I to live the Christian life!

I felt like I had earned a rest this morning in the gym. I had worked hard, sweat was dripping and my muscles were aching! I earned a rest. You and I cannot earn the kind of rest that Jesus gives. The Christian life is not about working so hard that you work up a sweat! (Thank you Jesus!) The Christian life is not about earning anything! The Christian life is about receiving the gift of “rest” from Jesus without working to earn anything!

Christianity is not about what you do it is about who you ARE! Now…..think about that for a while and take an eternal rest period in Jesus! You might just find yourself more energized and busier in the Kingdom than every before. The difference will be that you are not tired! Wow!