Life often provides us with times of relaxation. Whether that means a weekend in the wilderness, a day at the beach, sleeping in on a Saturday, or a ten minute coffee break at work, we know what it feels like to relax. Lately, I've been confronted with the the fact that in my life those times of relaxation are often the times in which I find very little rest or peace. In those prolonged moments when my schedule offers a void, my head begins to race. All of my worries, insecurities, and irrational fears rise to the surface and anxiety gets a grip. But wait:
For God alone my soul waits in silence;
from him comes my salvation.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.
Finding peace and rest are very different pursuits from the search for relaxation. We must find a way to lay our burdens down and quickly step away. We must loosen our grip and release the reigns. We must recognize the bigger picture. Our lives are significant but our actions or inactions are incapable of derailing the sovereign will of God. I have never found true rest while relying on my own abilities. However when I turn to God and affirm that "Your will be done," the waves beneath my feet become a solid and unshakable foundation. It is in that moment when I finally rush into the capable and loving arms of a Father who delights in my joy.
Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us.
I urge you each to find rest in this coming week. Finding true peace is contrary to our contentious soul and thus we must struggle to embrace it. Don't settle for cheap relaxation but instead find rest.
No comments:
Post a Comment