What is rest?

Let’s start by recognizing that God rested on the seventh day after six days of working (Genesis 2:2-3).

And Jesus told his apostles to rest after their work (Mark 6:30-32). Here we see rest as preparation, not only as a reaction, because next the apostles witness the miracle of Jesus feeding the 5,000, which meant more work and service for them.

So rest is your friend.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28 ESV). The word “rest” here is from the Greek anapauo meaning “to give intermission from labor, to give rest, to refresh so to recover strength.”

“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 (Matthew 11:29 ESV). The word “rest” here is from the Greek anapausis meaning “cessation, refreshment.” It does not imply inactivity, but rather finding satisfaction and development in God.

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How can we see rest in January?

Restore

(verb, from the Hebrew shub, meaning “to return or go back, bring back”)

“He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” (Psalm 23:3 ESV)

“Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.” (Psalm 51:12 ESV)

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Restoration

(noun, the actual process of restoring, in the Bible God making things better than they were before)

“Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.” (2 Corinthians 13:11 ESV)

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Restraint

(Merriam-Webster: to prevent from doing, exhibiting, or expressing something; to limit, to restrict, to keep under control)

It’s the beginning of a new year, so I’m just gonna throw out a few verses about self-control:

• “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23 ESV)
• “. . . for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:7 ESV)

I don’t know about you, but I definitely need rest in order to have restraint!

For me, showing restraint also means looking at my schedule and leaving time for rest. Being intentional about it makes me look forward to it and not feel guilty about saying “no” to things.

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Rest is not weakness, a wrong decision, or laziness.

Rest is not procrastination, or avoidance.

Rest may mean doing something in your regular routine differently.

I don’t usually run outside in January. I used to, but I noticed my body didn’t respond well to running in cold temperatures. My breath was unsteady, I avoided hills, and my muscles tightened up quickly. So now I rest from running outside, but not from training. Instead I’m inside, focusing on breath, focusing on training for hills, focusing on core engagement, and trying some new exercises. I don’t have to pay attention to obstacle: cars, tripping, other runners, my route, and turkeys. Instead I can focus on form and basics, preparing my body to run outside again once the chill of winter is gone.