Prevailing Purpose

If I’m honest with you, rest is not an area where I thrive.

Do I love a good night’s sleep? You bet. 

A long vacation? Absolutely.

But do I always partake in true, biblical rest? Not so much.

I love to be busy and I love to help, and I’m thankful that my work allows me to be and do both. It is often challenging and fulfilling and yet, there is still doubt that creeps in. I wonder if I am doing enough, if I am lazy for not having a side hustle, or if I should really be taking time off when there are always more bills to pay.

As I take time to consider the origin of these doubts, many seem to come from the “girl boss” and “hustle” culture that I grew up in as a millennial. These are still regularly affirmed by the messages we hear on social media that encourage anxiety about our income. In recent days, these conflicting messages have come across my feed:

• You should be earning passive income, ask me how! 
• Check out these tricks for saving money on the next Prime Day. 
• Advancing your career should be your top priority. 
• Staying home with your kids is always the best option.
• No days off! Working on weekends is key.
• Make sure you take time for self-care. Don’t get burned out.

But the true source lies deeper than these messages, though it is certainly easy to place the blame on them. It’s my own pride. I cling to the illusion of control and the belief that I can and do have authority over my world. I am the all-powerful, all-knowing being in my life, capable of making all the right decisions about the great unknown that is the future.

I don’t need a break. I don’t need help. I know and do best.

But woven into the narrative of scripture God provides us with a radical alternative: rest. And what is more, rest that isn’t a rare, once-a-year vacation packed with family activities or the weekly bubble bath that we label as self-care. It is true, daily, humble rest that is physical, mental, and spiritual.

In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus says:

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

This soul rest is peace that permeates every moment of our lives and springs from a heart that is planted firmly in the hope of the gospel. Here Jesus invites us to follow and imitate him. In particular, his humility.

While it is true that we should work hard and sacrificially, doing what we can to provide for our families, we are also asked to remember and acknowledge that we are not ultimately in control.

We are invited to embrace our weakness.

While sleep, vacations, and weekly sabbaths are important and refreshing, it is the welcoming of vulnerability that leads to true rest. Pausing our work, not keeping a full schedule, and rejecting the mandatory anxiety that our culture calls for are all essential. And when we choose to rest, we are declaring, both to our own hearts and to those around us, that we are trusting our Lord with our future.

If you are walking through a difficult season and can benefit from biblical counseling, schedule a session with myself or another qualified counselor today.

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