Rest in the Rush
Rest in the Rush
Meredith Bunting
There was a time when the Holiday Seasonto me was synonymous with sleep deprivation. Every yearasDecember showed up all snowy and merry on my wall calendar, I felt the old familiar panic rising in my chest. I had hardly washed the Thanksgiving dishes when lists of wishes, wants, and must-dos landed in my lap, the mail, and all over that cheery calendar. While the Christ Child slept peacefully in mangers I had collected and displayed throughout the house, I laid awake at night mentally goingover my ever-lengthening list. Christmas had become “Stress-mess.” Whathappened to “Peace on earth”?
During those joyfully hectic seasons I desperately needed something spiritual to focus on that would keep my fragmented thoughts on the birth of Jesus. So between baking, gifting, and decorating, I collected Nativity scenes to place around the house, made sure the family attended Candlelight Services Christmas Eve, and served a traditional gluttonous dinner. It is natural for Christians to want to please God, family, Church, and community at Christmas,but I do wonder whether thisis how the Prince of Peace wants His birth celebrated?
Recently, life has become simplerfor me. Rather than dwell on the empty quiet, I have takenthe time to actually listen in prayer to God impartingHis thoughts for the season of Joy. His Word for Advent 2017 seemed at first highly unlikely. It just didn’t seemfit for the Holidays; yet it keptshowing upin significant ways.“REST!” God has been saying. Iwondered why I hadn’t heard Him say that about two decades ago.
Resting any time of the year is nearly impossible in our culture, but during the holidays -- it’s not going to happen. Truth is, striving and laboring in anything in life is useless and a waste of energy. For most of us, rest is elusive.“My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken” Psalm 62:1-2.
God’s rest is different from the world’s idea of rest. He is not telling us to lie down for a little shut-eye. God offers us His REST. If we just lean into Him, let His peace permeate our souls, and trust Him, the Holy Spirit will sustain us through Christmas and in chaos.
True rest is God’s gift, and in it we find peace, trust, hope, and faith. His rest is deep and profound and it supersedes the rest we try to get when we are physically tired and emotionally distraught. God’s rest comes in the present. It is not a function that comes after the removal of the obstacles. His rest is NOW in the midst of circumstances.Jesus, Himself, slept on a cushion during a storm at sea (Mark 4:38). The LORD’s rest comes while the storm rages.
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God….” (Psalm 46:10) not, “rush around until you know I am God”. God’s rest is supernaturally NOW. He is our provision for everything we need. Through hectic holidays and raging storms, He promises rest if we just trust Him.
How will the Christmas season look for us if we ask God to lead us into His gift of rest each day? Let us seek His rest during Advent, and celebrate Immanuel With Us, as we trust Him in everymoment.
And He said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.
(Exodus 33:14)
Prayer: LORD, I need Your grace. I cannot do this -- REST -- alone. I get so easily distracted. Please help me truly experience Your peace. Thank you for providing all that I need for every circumstance, especially during the rush of the holidays. I trust You. May this Advent be a time of true rest in You. Amen.
Digging Deeper: Psalm 1:1-3, Psalm 23, Psalm 91:14-16, Mark 4:37-39, Philippians 4:7
Song: Prince of Peace– Hillsong