Entering Into His Rest

by Karin Paparelli

Rest ? With the pace of life these days, rest is a rare commodity. It is no different in our Christian walk, and sometimes even worse. But I do not believe this is the Lord's will for us. Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). Jesus invites us to take His yoke upon us because His yoke is easy and His burden is light. It seems the longer we walk with Jesus the heavier that yoke becomes. Sure it begins light. When you first receive Christ you're as light as air. Your sins are forgiven, years of resentment, un-forgiveness, anger, hurt ( you know that baggage you couldn't part with until you knew the Saviour) are lifted and your burden is light. So how do we wind up burdened once again?

Paul warns us not to take up a yoke of slavery again (Gal.5:1). Why would we want to? I don't know why, but we seem to gravitate that way. We have been set free from the law of sin and death and no sooner do we create one hundred new laws. Gradually we tack things on to our Christian walk that the Lord never intended. We begin by wanting to serve out of the gratefulness in our hearts. So we do all we can to serve Him and His Kingdom. We share the gospel with family and friends, we raise money for the poor, feed the hungry, care for the sick, teach Sunday school, you know the list, it goes on and on. And then we move on into ministry, we sit on committee for this project and chair some other event. And that is really OK. I'm usually the first to sign up when there is help needed. And Jesus did ask us to do these things, right? We are to look after the widows and the fatherless, and tend to the sick and poor, and to bring the Gospel to the ends of the Earth. This does please our Father in Heaven. So then what is the problem? The problem is our heart attitude, our motive. Why do we do what we do? Is it because God has called us to it and we want to obey and therefore please our Heavenly Father? Or is it to be somehow justified by our works? There is a shift that can easily occur as we strive to do that which we feel compelled to do. We can easily become burdened by the very things we believe we are called to if they become our new Law. Suddenly or maybe not so suddenly, we are weighed down and resentful. Have we become Pharisees? Feeling justified by our works rather than resting in the knowledge that we have been saved by grace?

There is a struggle that exists between the Law and Grace. According to Gerald Coates in his latest releaseNon-Religious Christianity "The Law tells us that we have to do something to please God; grace says that He has already done something to please us, and that causes us to want to spend our lives pleasing Him." He explains it a bit more, "Religious people do good works in order to be saved; children of grace do good works because they are saved...Salvation is by the grace of God. Good works or right living are the result or fruit of salvation." We know this to be true for clearly in Ephesians we read that, "It is by grace that you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast" (Eph. 2:8).

We are foolish if we think we do not need to guard our hearts from Pharisaical thinking.

It is something that can easily find its way into our hearts and minds while we are so busy being justified. It is the very notion of 'I would never think like that' that puts us in jeopardy. But as we truly clothe ourselves in humility and are reminded that Jesus paid the price for us all to live free from the law, we can continue to live by grace. Grace being something we get when we don't deserve it. We can not earn grace. So how do we know when we have the right motives?

It is in the rest. When we are operating in the things that the Lord has called us to, in His time and with His spirit, we have rest. That is not to say we sit on our hands. Just the contrary. We are able to do exceedingly great things for the kingdom, because it is not us doing them. My red flag goes up when I sense that I am overextended and weary. It is usually then, just before I crash, that I realize I'm not operating in the Spirit, but in my own strength. As we put on His yoke it is easy, His burden is light. We can do incredible things when it is Christ at work in us.

We can be rested even in the middle of many events and teachings. There are preachers who have spoken for hours without become weary because it was the Lord strengthening them to speak. As we lean on His strength we are resting as we labor for the Kingdom. His word declares, "I will give strength to the weary and increase the power of the weak." (Is. 40:29) As we abide in Him, we can do all things. But we must acknowledge that we are weak. We are deceived if we think we can do anything lasting for the Kingdom of God in our own strength.

Again Jesus said , "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)

God is calling us into His rest. That does not mean we stop doing. It just means we need to be careful to not become so consumed with the task that we neglect the Master. Let's spend some time in His presence, at His feet, learning His way. For His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

May you walk in His grace. Thy Kingdom come!

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