Our Ultimate Rest

I am a writer, but sometimes, I have no words.

Writing has always brought me deep joy. I can write for hours on end. I lose myself in my work, and adrenaline rushes through my body — I consider that a great blessing. Of course, writer’s block comes and goes, and I typically run an errand or grab a bite to eat to get my brain running again, then I’m back at it.

Some days, however, my cursor flickers at me, as I stare at my blank document. I can’t type a single word. God has shown me that, sometimes, my lack of words is more than writer’s block — it’s something deeper. When I am driven by the amount of work I can produce, I lose the purpose behind the work. My soul becomes drained — my soul is not well-rested.

I’m not talking about the type of rest the world knows. I don’t need a nap, I don’t need a bubble bath, and I don’t necessarily need a day off. I need God’s rest.

Do you ever get discouraged by how unproductive you are some days? Do you ever feel overwhelmed by your work? Perhaps you need to find God’s rest, too.

Sometimes, the commitments we make to ourselves to get the work done take throne to the commitments we make to God. Work can become an idol in our lives, and we tend to let it define us. But God doesn’t measure us by how much we get done. 

God created both work and rest, and we are called to live in a balance between the two. Our culture is busy — work hard, play hard, be productive, be a boss, etc. It seems, these days, rest is a sign of laziness or lack of ambition. With that mindset, we often pick work over rest. But the rest we are called to isn’t the opposite of productivity — it’s a state of mind. 

When productivity is our god, our work holds nothing of value. It’s meaningless. 

Genesis 2:1-3 says, “Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”

God created the heavens and the earth, and then He created the Sabbath to marvel at His creation. We were intended to do the same. We rest in the ultimate source of life: Jesus.

Resting in His work is living out His creation.

It’s when I am resting in the Lord that a million words flow from my heart and onto the screen, without hesitation. It’s when I have His purpose in mind that I produce my best work.

Even on workdays, as we give our worries and expectations to God, we can live in His rest.

When you find yourself out of creativity, or frustrated by your lack of productivity,  accept it as God’s reminder to live in His rest — a reminder to give yourself grace, slow down, and focus your mind on Him once again.

Work from a place of rest.