By Mark Maher
“You find peace not by rearranging the circumstances of your life, but by realizing who you are at the deepest level.” Eckhart Tolle
Where do you find your rest? Where is your place of peace? Hopefully God is a place of peace and rest for you. Even God emphasized a Sabbath day, a renewal, a place of reflection, of simplification, and a time to strengthen relationships. We put a pause on the “to do list” to gather some strength. God taught us the pause, today’s manna, to get your strength back up.
What if we could learn how to not focus on the problems of our life but to focus on the solutions only. What if you got solution orientated? Would this shift your anxiety? At a minimum, it would provide purpose, which many are searching for. “Sometimes you need to give yourself a break when you’ve had a lot of life change.” Barbara Freethy
How do we lessen the load from our burdens and the worries in this life? Perhaps we have to find a new perspective, a recognition of what matters. What’s stealing our time? What’s stealing our joy? Scripture says to “be careful of the worries of this life, distractions of this world, and the deceitfulness of wealth.” (Mark 4:19)
Chase God’s will for your life. Prioritize His heart and seek His presence and peace. Spend time with the Lord, seek his counsel, wisdom and discernment. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)
We have to place a strong trust that God’s got us and that He is preparing a way and that His ways can be embraced and to trust that it’s going to be ok. God reminds us to, “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)
When we find our rest, we can get back to running. To get back in the race. To take it to the next level of faith. God encourages us like He did with Elijah, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Or the man who had been paralyzed for 38 years at the Pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem where Jesus asks the man, “Do you want to get well?”
In other words, God will call you out and put the ball in your court. Free will is alive and well in God’s economy. You get to play an active role in writing your story. You’ll get a lot of choices in this life. Stay proactive, rather than reactive and passive. Rest, but then get back in the game. “Wisdom is knowing when to have rest, when to have activity, and how much of each to have.” Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Who do you find rest in other than God? Do you have certain individuals in your life who offer peace and rest? If you do and this is something that you gravitate towards, I’d say you’re blessed.
Rest can be like manna. You have to have some nourishment for the soul.”Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) “We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves, otherwise we harden.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
