06/07/2025
Types of Rest. Soul Shepherding
One of the most important things we can do is learn to rest in God.
Pretty much everyone I know (myself included) needs more of the rest of the soul that Jesus offers in his embrace (Matthew 11:28-30). Probably this is true for you as well.
Oh how easy it is to be so busy with work and caring for people that you neglect your own intimacy with Christ and miss out on the soul rest that you need!
And when you are not resting in Jesus, you will not be able to share his love effectively with others.
Rest teaches us to trust God and enjoy Him. It helps us to be governed by our good God in what we do and in how we do it.
It’s God’s way to set us free from worry and anxiety, ambition and adrenaline, self-importance and anger, even loneliness.
When we rest, we let go of all the ways we want to make things happen or control the people and situations in our lives.
We learn that the world is not on our shoulders after all—God is running the universe and he can do it without us! The people around us will be just fine—we ourselves will be just fine— even if we don’t get our “To Do” list done.
First, we may need to detox from overactivity, pride, ambition, or adrenaline. But if we stay resting in God long enough, we will discover that the Lord gives us sweet rest and restores our soul in his peace.
In the green pastures of Good Shepherd’s grace and beside his still waters, we discover that it’s really true: “He restores my soul!” (Psalm 23:3).
What a gift it is to discover that our identity is not wrapped up in the things we accomplish or don’t accomplish, but in grace-based relationships, especially our relationship with God.
This is what real rest looks like. And it’s the source of our best life, love, laughter, creativity, calmness, and energy.
Credits: Meg Alag