The world tells us to work hard at everything, at all times. We want to always be engaged, busy doing something, even when we are accomplishing nothing. Just the feeling, or rather the illusion, that we are doing something is enough. It’s almost, if not actually, an addiction. I've been learning that rest may be the highest form of trust — at least in my life. When I rest, truly rest, I acknowledge that the world still goes on even when I stop striving. I trust God to hold me along with everything else together. I realize that the world doesn’t need me as much as I like to think it does.
I'm not suggesting we're insignificant; quite the opposite, really - a purposeful God wouldn't create purposeless people. What I mean is, we often overestimate our impact, fearing life will end if we stop working. For instance, you might feel that if you don't finish that code (coming for my coding friends – I appreciate you!), the world will turn upside down. Yet you go on to spend hours scrolling on your phone, dillydallying around your house, and checking your emails, and, for the 10th time, your DMs to see if someone has replied to you. All that happens before realizing that you don’t understand the coding task and need to spend time on GitHub (or wherever else one finds coding help) before coding begins. I mean, if the world's survival truly depended on that code, it'd be in trouble.
So, here's my challenge for us in 2024. Let's cease striving to do everything in our own strength and just rest in God. I love this definition of rest.
To rest means to relax into something and let it support you.
So cool, right? We can still do what we do but choose to do it while relaxing and being supported by the One who holds the whole world together. I mean, with Him as an anchor, what can go wrong? Nothing! So, will you join me in earnestly seeking to delight in God in 2024? A better word for what I mean is 'basking in' God.
To bask in something is to take it in, receive its warmth, or bathe in its goodness.
Isn’t this something? Taking God in, receiving His warmth, and bathing in His goodness 24/7. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying we should quit our jobs/school and do nothing. Here's what I'm saying: what if we do all we do the Jesus way?
One of my favorite Bible stories is in Luke 5:1-11 when Peter and Andrew had fished all night without catching a thing. These were expert fishermen familiar with the trade, and yet a whole night went by without catching one fish. It's quite embarrassing. But with Jesus' directions, they caught a multitude of fish. Just imagine if they had been in tune with Jesus from the beginning! They'd have gotten a good night's sleep, gone to the sea in the morning, and still caught the biggest catch of their lives.
Can you relate? Have you ever pulled an all-nighter working or worrying only for the sun to rise on you when you've achieved practically nothing? There's a quote from A.W. Tozer that always gets me. He said,
God is looking for those with whom He can do the impossible – what a pity that we plan only the things that we can do by ourselves.
We are a restless, hopeless, wanna-be fixer generation that’s almost always exhausted. We move from one thing to another, trying to fix everything without realizing there’s a better way. The question is, do you and I want the things we can do in our power — which, if we’re honest with ourselves, is a short list of things — or do we want what God can do through us? The Jesus way works, my friends!
My prayer for us in 2024 is that we consistently choose to immerse ourselves in Jesus’ goodness, allow Him to support us, and witness how everything else falls into place.
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