Rest. It seems so simple, But it’s not, is it. With the pace of life and the demands upon us (either self-imposed or from others), rest often eludes us. Long term tiredness, weariness, and stress can become a way of life. The experience of peace and joy may seem like something in the far distant past.
When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36).
To be joyful, we need to set aside times of what the Bible calls Sabbath Rest. I am learning to love God’s gift of Sabbath rest. I know, that for some, the mention of Sabbath may not evoke pleasant memories. The Hebrew word Shabbat simply means to cease, to stop. Sabbath was then established as an ordinance for the great benefit of humanity. Imagine life without Sabbath rest—a meaningless, monotonous, endless flow of days. Why would anyone want to live that way? And yet, that is what we often do.
Work and rest are the two first creation gifts to us (Genesis 2:1-3). These rhythms of work and rest are built into the wiring of our being and into our universe. We can ignore it, but it will be to our peril. We will suffer serious loss to our physical and emotional health, a loss of what it means to be human and made in God’s image. And we will miss out on wonderful times of joy.
Work can provide dignity and meaning to our lives. But in our modern society, work can become workaholism and cause us to be driven people. “Time is money,” I sometimes hear people say. “So, when I rest, I am losing money, or maybe I am losing out to my competitors.” Likewise, the gift of Sabbath can be turned into a heavy burden, as we see with the religious rulers of Jesus’ day. What a tragedy, to take this wonderful blessing and turn it into a guilt-producing legalistic duty.
What does it mean to rest, really rest? For one thing, it means to get off the treadmill, to step off the productivity highway, and to simply waste time (by some standards). To stop, to cease from our striving. Life is like a river; it keeps on flowing. Every day, throughout the day, we keep having more experiences, more encounters, good things, hurtful things, that produce varying reactions in us. It piles up and becomes a muddle of stuff happening to us. And that heap of muddle creates stress and disorientation. It dulls our senses.
Sometimes we need to step out of the river, to watch and reflect and consider what is happening to us. Who am I? Where am I headed? Do I like where I am going? Do I like who I am becoming? Stepping out of the river will mean different things to each of us. For some, it may involve Mindfulness exercises to get in touch with our body, our feelings, and our stressors. There are a myriad practitioners online ready to guide people in Mindfulness exercises.
For me, it includes that but quickly moves into Prayerfulness. I like to practice a “walking-talking” relationship with God where I review my day with Him. I want to invite God’s presence into my day, to rest in his promises. Besides the questions mentioned above, I also ask, How have I sensed God’s presence this day; where have I felt his absence? What are the things for which I can give thanks? What are things I need to forgive and where do I need to seek forgiveness? This sometimes involves journaling. These questions have been a practice of the people of God for centuries and are taken from the Examen by St. Ignatius in the 1500s.
It should be obvious by now that we are not thinking of Sabbath rest as merely one day in the week, but a daily, regular practice. When we do this, we can even bring restfulness into our working time, and restfulness becomes a way of life. Imagine work and daily chores without stress and drudgery! This is God’s precious gift and intension for us. Of course, we will fail and fall into old patterns of worry and anxiety, grinding and slogging our way through the day. But we can quickly come to our senses and remember that we don’t have to live that way. And I would add, God never intended us to live that way.
Consider this amazing, generous invitation by Jesus. It is earthshaking . . . if we take it seriously:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) 
Isn’t that what we want, to find rest for our souls?