Resting

 

“Jesus I am resting, resting. . . .”  This lovely song by Jean Sophia Pigott is full of good theology. You will find a couple of different tunes on line, but I prefer the older version. You can hear it here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztxL1ljMOCU&list=RDD8QrEtdV134&index=2

 Resting seems as if it would be easy. Just kick back and relax! But it isn’t always easy, is it? There is a strong tendency in modern life to be always doing something. We could make a strong case, however, for just sitting still—or lying in the hammock! These are times when we can meditate and appreciate all God has done for us. Certainly God knew what his people needed when he commanded a day of rest.

In a deeper sense, we need to rest in Christ’s work on our behalf. The book of Hebrews, chapters 3 and 4, equates rest with belief and trust in God. It isn’t speaking of sitting still or lying in the hammock but of relying fully on God’s plan and putting all our faith in the price that Jesus paid on the cross. Once we trust Jesus as Savior, then we trust him to lead us in the way we ought to go every day.

On some days, “resting” in Jesus might mean being quite busy doing what he wants—not to gain God’s favor but to surrender to his will. It’s a fine line we walk in a way, knowing that we cannot save ourselves but acting out of love and obedience to perform the good works that demonstrate our trust.

One of the books I’ve been reading this summer is The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. This book is challenging in some ways, and I don’t fully agree with all of Bonhoeffer’s ideas, but it is worth reading. This passage from the chapter The Image of Christ is what got me started thinking about rest:

 

When the world began, God created Adam in his own image, as the climax of his creation. He wanted to have the joy of beholding in Adam the reflection of himself. ‘And behold it was very good.’ God saw himself in Adam. Here, right from the beginning, is the mysterious paradox of man. He is a creature, and yet he is destined to be like his Creator. Created man is destined to bear the image of the uncreated God. Adam is ‘as God.’ His destiny is to bear this mystery in gratitude and obedience towards his Maker. But the false serpent persuaded Adam that he must still do something to become like God; he must achieve that likeness by deciding and acting for himself. Through this choice, Adam rejected the grace of God, choosing his own action. . .  That was the Fall of Man.                             

When I read this passage sitting on my front porch, I had to stop and think. The original sin was wanting to achieve something that was meant to be freely received. There is so much more to be said, but I will leave you here. (And if you haven’t listened to that song yet, do it now!)

--Sherry Poff