A Holy Nap
Graduate school was one of my favorite seasons of life. The program I attended to become a speech-language pathologist was rigorous, and I thrived in it. I loved being challenged, acquiring new knowledge, and being tested on all I had learned. (Nerd alert.)
At one point, I noticed this pattern of intense study and the need to acquire knowledge spilling over into my faith life. I love learning about Scripture, diving into themes of the Bible, and getting to know the numerous people woven in throughout its pages. My approach to growing in my faith became largely academic in many ways.
I can talk your ear off about all that I have learned in my own study, from sermons at church, from podcasts and books, and from my Bible study groups.
But one day a few years ago, a simple lesson changed how I approached my faith and my relationship with Jesus.
In her Back Porch Theology podcast episode “The Theology of Rest,” Lisa Harper discusses her innate resistance to rest and her tendency to accumulate knowledge or staying constantly on the go instead. She shares how she is continuously learning to openly receive God’s gift of rest and to embrace simply resting in His presence. At one point, Lisa makes the comment that resting in God requires trust.
Rest requires trust. We often struggle with overfilling our calendars or feeling achievement must be prioritized. “Doing” can easily replace “dwelling.” Can we leave this struggle at the feet ofJesus instead?
Consider how God made us to be relational beings. The Old Testament consistently shows God calling His people into relationship with Him—Scripture illustrates His desire to dwell among His people. We can lay down all of our self-imposed expectations to complete more, to achieve more, to schedule more. Busy, busy, busy.
Pause.
He wants our presence.
We are humans created by Him, and we require physical, emotional, and spiritual rest. We can trust that He commands a Sabbath for a reason. We can trust that He will give us the rest we so desperately need; we simply need to choose to embrace this gift with open hands.
There are many ways we can pause, rest, and fully immerse ourselves in the glorious presence of our God. Turn off your phone, sing a worship song out loud, journal, go for a walk, cook a meal to nourish your body, pray, or meditate on a specific verse. Go take a nap!
Lisa’s podcast always ends with this saying: “Knowledge about God pales next to intimacy with Jesus… we hope you spend a lot more time lingering in His presence… than you do listening to podcasts.”
I will always love learning more about Jesus and Scripture, but I am grateful He intervened to show me another way to experience His love. To simply remain in His amazing presence. To put down the current study for awhile to pause and rest in Him. To spend time with Him, free of expectations. He is so kind.
Thank you God, for the gift of rest. For knowing us so well, for caring about our needs, and inviting us into your sweet presence.
Lisa Harper, “The Theology of Rest,” Back Porch Theology podcast (AccessMore).
