Rest: Growing in Our Understanding

Rest: Growing in Our Understanding of the Words We Think We Know

Posted on by Michele Morin

My grandchildren are learning to sing hymns, and I love it! There’s not much cuter than hearing a two-year-old’s rendering of timeless theological truth. And whether or not he understands it today, the words are in his brain just as all those crazy advertising jingles from the seventies will forever be stuck in my own gray matter.

Both children and adults need to grow in our understanding of the words we think we know. Take the word rest for example. I’ve been thinking and writing about rest since January, and just when I think I’m getting a clear vision of my need to rest and God’s generous provision for rest, the camera jiggles and the lens slips, and I’m back where I started.

An Old Hymn About Resting

Standing here in 2022, are there relevant lessons about rest for me from a hymn written in 1876? Let’s look at the lyrics from verse 1:

Jesus, I am resting, resting,
In the joy of what Thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart.
Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee,
And Thy beauty fills my soul,
For by Thy transforming power,
Thou hast made me whole.”

“Jesus, I Am Resting, Resting”–lyrics by Jean Pigott

The words are addressed to Jesus, and the focus is joy–joy radiating from his greatness, his love, his beauty, and his power. Some of us are inclined to run to friends with our worries. Others are more likely to draw inward and gnaw on a problem like a dog with a bone. Both approaches are insufficient!

Grown up sons encounter adult-sized challenges, and when I know my kids are concerned about something, my first instinct is to add my worries to the mix. I am learning to refocus that energy into prayer, to address One who is all-powerful, but it’s a continual learning curve.

True rest is found in an outward focus that acknowledges God’s sovereign control and his good intentions toward me and his good intentions toward the people I love–even when his definition of good isn’t lining up with my own.

True rest is found in an outward focus that acknowledges God’s sovereign control and his good intentions toward me and his good intentions toward the people I love–even when his definition of good isn’t lining up with my own.

Rest in the Midst of a Riot

“Jesus, I Am Resting, Resting” was the favorite hymn of pioneer missionary Hudson Taylor. His tenure in China beginning in the late 1800’s intersected a period of rioting that ultimately culminated in The Boxer Rebellion and many deaths. During one of the riots he was whistling the tune to his favorite hymn when a colleague asked him, “How can you whistle in the midst of so much danger?”

“I roll the burden onto the Lord,” he replied, and in his classic biography (Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret) his son wrote that Taylor “had learned that, for him, only one life was possible – just that blessed life of resting and rejoicing in the Lord under all circumstances, while He dealt with the difficulties inward and outward, great and small” 

The Meaning and the Method of True Rest

Rest Yields Transformation and Wholeness

I may imagine that by striving and worrying and scheming solutions I can fix problems and restore peace to the galaxy, but experience is teaching me, as the words to the old hymn testify, it is God’s “transforming power” that makes us whole.

  • Are you feeling as if you are in pieces today because of some worry that’s stealing your rest?
  • Are you experiencing “the greatness of” God’s loving heart? Or does he seem to be distant–somewhere on the far side of the problem you are trying to solve on your own?
  • Would you say that your gaze is fixed upon Christ–or upon your troubles?
  • What’s filling your soul these days? Are you making time to focus on God and the beauty of his truth?

Enjoy this simple, straight-forward rendering of the hymn as you consider your answers to these questions and your need for the transforming power of rest:

I may imagine that by striving, worrying or scheming solutions I can fix problems and restore peace to the galaxy. Experience is teaching me, as the words to the old hymn testify, it is God’s “transforming power” that makes us whole.

And Now, Let’s Talk Books…

And let’s talk about a book on a topic completely UNRELATED and counter-productive to rest!

Celebrities for Jesus

As a content creator, I am, naturally, aware of the people who read my work. Celebrity status is so remote as to be laughable, but even in my little corner of the internet, Facebook nags me to “promote” my posts, and WordPress is compelled to notify me every time a new subscriber shows up. Honestly, I love knowing that my words make a difference, so I can see how the lure of celebrity could become an end in itself.

We’ve all been blessed and encouraged by believers who put their gifts on display to serve kingdom purposes. And we’ve witnessed the crash and burn of Christians who “have reached for the tool of celebrity and found that it isn’t really a tool at all. It has more power over the user than the user has over it.”

In Celebrities for Jesus, Katelyn Beaty asserts that like all of God’s good gifts, the secret to keeping the desire for influence in its rightful place is to hold it loosely. She makes the helpful observation that we are healthier when we look to the virtuous and the exceptional as icons rather than as idols. Idols replace God where icons represent him well.

Our failure to honor this boundary has contributed to the tragedies inherent to the Christian celebrity mindset: “the power without proximity” that attracts a following, deceives the leader (and her followers!), often shields the guilty, and even isolates the celebrity within a lonely spotlight.

Obviously, the book does not extend a solution to the global problem, but does emphasize the importance of accountability, community, simplicity, integrity, and humility as crucial safeguards. Ordinary faithfulness is a healthy posture, and it is, after all, the pattern set by our Savior.

Beaty’s observations are enriched by her roots in evangelical youth culture of the late 90’s and also by the historical details she gleaned through her editorial post with Christianity Today. Whether you regard the concept of “famous Christians” as good, evil, or neutral, their existence reveals something important about the heart of the church that bears examination–and perhaps even repentance.

Whether you regard the concept of #CelebritiesforJesus as good, evil, or neutral their existence reveals something important about the heart of the church that bears examination-and perhaps even repentance. @KatelynBeaty @brazospress

Holding You in the Light,

Michele Morin

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Last winter, I memorized John 15:1-8 and was struck and instructed all over again by the truth of God’s intense longing to be in relationship with me. He wants us! No question about it, but so often we behave as if we don’t want him.

Each day’s brief reading from John 15 is an invitation to abide with Christ, to pull away from the fringes and toward his heart. I’m committed to the truth that women can become confident followers of God and students of his word, and it’s my goal to provide resources to help you along that path. Subscribers receive them automatically, and you can receive your copy by simply entering your email and then clicking on the button below…

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Published by Michele Morin

Michele Morin is a Bible teacher, writer, reader, and gardener committed to the truth that women can become confident Christ-followers and students of God's Word. She has been married to an unreasonably patient husband for thirty-plus years, and together they have four sons, four daughters-in-love, and six adorable grandchildren. Michele loves hot tea and well-crafted sentences, poems that stop her in her tracks, and days at the ocean with the whole family. She laments biblical illiteracy and advocates for the prudent use of “little minutes.” She blogs at Living Our Days, and you can connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

64 thoughts on “Rest: Growing in Our Understanding of the Words We Think We Know”

  2. Oh Michele this was so good, and so apropos to my days, lately, and for a lifetime! (Rest…. That elusive gift that accompanies faith… The quest of a lifetime for some of us!)
    So many snatches of your well ordered words hit the spot for me this day, not the least of which were those of the hymn! Yes! May this be my growing testimony. I am recovering from an unexpected onslaught of virus whilst anticipating soon coming trip to see close family not seen in years due to travel restrictions… So much that feels less than restful, but Jesus. Your words confirm His to me yesterday. He bids me gaze upon Him…. And in the looking in faith He stills my easily anxiety ridden soul to calm wholeness again… Taking these words on my travels,Michele. Thank you. Thank you!

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    1. Praying with you for quick resolution to the virus and an open door for reunion with family. OH- how frustrating!
      Honored to send words of peace and rest to your path. And you already know how much I appreciate your feedback. Blessings!

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  6. It’s definitely a journey of hills & valleys in getting that balance with activity in chronic health conditions & rest, Michele.

    Not only physically but mentally, emotionally and spiritually. As each one impacts the other.

    And when we have chronic health issues they impact not only our bodies & daily life but our neurochemistry levels.

    So when life concerns come along they often jump straight to anxiety.

    It takes awhile to recognise this reaction but once we do, we can take it to the Lord & rest in His peace 😉
    Bless you, Jennifer

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      1. You’re most welcome Michele, it’s been a long journey of discovery with the Lord in this season of chronic health issues.
        It’s a blessing to be able to share what I’ve gleaned along the way with those who are at the beginning their journey.

        Liked by 1 person

  8. This: “True rest is found in an outward focus that acknowledges God’s sovereign control and his good intentions toward me and his good intentions toward the people I love–even when his definition of good isn’t lining up with my own.” – so very good! It is liberating into rest. Sogood! Trying to come up solutions to my challenges or my sons’ challenges often feels like trying to unknot an impossible knot in a strand of mohair! But God is so much more capable than me! Bless you for reminding me today to rest in God during the challenges of my week!

    Liked by 1 person

  10. I like your description here. As I’m reading it I feel rest is a discipline that must almost become an external thing-handing our weariness over to the Lord in full surrender.

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  11. Great to hear you are enjoying Lucy by the Sea, not an author I have read yet but would like to at some point. Celebrity status around Christianity is a delicate tightrope to walk I would thing.

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  13. Helpful wisdom and truth here, Michele! Thinking back on a particular rough patch in my past, I have to admit that staying focused on Jesus was a difficult discipline to maintain. My trouble wanted front and center attention! But God kept drawing me back to praising him, celebrating his attributes and where I saw them at work in my life. My “rest” came over time.

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    1. This is such a lesson in patience, Nancy. It does seem that the fruit of the spirit come to us as a connected unit (like a bunch of grapes??), and that as we grow in one, we also advance in others.

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      1. I’ve heard the fruit of the Spirit explained as one fruit (because the source is one Spirit), but it displays different characteristics. I think you’re right: growth can happen in more than one area at a time. For example, as we grow in our love for others, we’ll also grow in patience, kindness, and goodness toward them. Thank you for stretching our minds and spirits with your posts, Michele!

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      2. That’s a great image, Nancy, and I, for one, need stretching and growing in the entire fruit bowl of godliness. It’s good to know I’m in such friendly company as we grow in Christlikeness!

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  16. Michele, excellent article getting to the bottom of why rest seems elusive along the hard paths. Love, love, love this, “True rest is found in an outward focus that acknowledges God’s sovereign control and his good intentions toward me and his good intentions toward the people I love–even when his definition of good isn’t lining up with my own.”
    For me that sums it all up. I am printing this statement and keeping it right in the front of my bible.
    By the way, the hymn, “Jesus I am Resting” is one of my all time favorites, loved sitting here today..and RESTING!

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  17. Michele, this post . . . speaks to my heart. Worry is a direct opponent of rest. This is a truth I’ve been dancing with for months, and I’m finally getting to the point where worry isn’t leading me, but I’m directing it by looking to Jesus.

    This paragraph in particular had me nodding my head: “True rest is found in an outward focus that acknowledges God’s sovereign control and his good intentions toward me and his good intentions toward the people I love–even when his definition of good isn’t lining up with my own.”

    Thanks for such a timely word, friend

    Like

  18. Just what I needed today, Michele. Reminding me that my focus must be on Christ, not my worries and that I can take those worries to Him. One of my favorite hymns also! Thank you!

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    1. Thanks for bringing up the matter of focus. If my worries are the biggest thing in the room and I’m forgetting that God is sovereign and also GOOD, I’m certainly going to struggle to trust God for a good outcome. (Especially if his definition of good differs from mine.)

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  19. OH yes! Those jingle songs are stuck in there… along with so many TV show theme songs. My boys are often amazed by that ability! LOL.

    I too find I tend to add to my boys worry (unintentional!) when I start spiraling about something that is going on in their lives and I am trying so hard not to do that anymore. But it’s a real struggle..

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  20. Ahh what a beautiful hymn. I’d never thought of it in the way that you put it – is a worry stealing your rest. It’s definitely food for thought. Thank you for your wise words Michele. And thank you for joining us for the #DreamTeam

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  23. ‘when I know my kids are concerned about something, my first instinct is to add my worries to the mix. I am learning to refocus that energy into prayer, to address One who is all-powerful, but it’s a continual learning curve.’

    um, yes. this has been a story that God is helping re-write. slowly, but surely, my propensity to butt in and fix and maneuver is fading away. it’s only been by His grace …

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    1. We do love our kids, and it’s hard to take a hands-off stance with the people who have our hearts in their back pockets! Trusting our loved ones to God is one way we put his majestic greatness on display. And he’s so much better qualified to handle things than I am!

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  24. Rest is something that I need right now! I am physically and mentally exhausted which means my emotional and spiritual needs have been neglected 😦 We cannot give to others when we are empty ourselves. Thanks for linking with #dreamteam

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  25. I’m not surprised to see the paragraph that resonated deeply with me also touched others: “True rest is found in an outward focus that acknowledges God’s sovereign control …” The old hymns have a way of cutting right to the chase, don’t they? Also reading “Celebrities for Jesus” right now … so much to ponder in those pages.

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  27. I will force myself to rest when I face challenging times, I find if I’m rested I work much better.
    Thanks for linking with #pocolo, sorry for the delay with leaving a comment, hope to see you back soon

    Like

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