Restful Places

Something unique about me is that I have always loved ceiling fans. You may be wondering how that relates to resting, well to me ceiling fans just create an atmosphere of peace. I remember being a little kid in our farmhouse kitchen with the ceiling fan on high during the summer with the AC on and the feeling it gave me. I still get that feeling with ceiling fans. Just sitting under them on high fills me with a sense of calmness. I absolutely love it. They make the atmosphere feel at peace, restful. Call me weird, but ceiling fans are one of my favorite things in a room.

It’s the same with Jesus. How is that? A ceiling fan may bring me comfort but the Only One who brings true, internal peace is Jesus. In this troubled world, peace is in high demand but where are people searching for it? They search for it in money, fame, possessions, other people… but they never find it. Endlessly drifting from thing to thing, person to person, never feeling fulfilled – never feeling that peace they so desperately desire.
In the book of Luke, we read the account of Martha and Mary. Martha was so concerned about making everything in the house perfect – the setting, the food, etc. – whereas Mary chose that which was best, to sit – to rest – at Jesus’ feet. To simply sit and listen. How often do we just sit and listen to our Lord? When do we step aside from everything grasping for out attention, go someplace quiet and simply be in our Lord’s presence? Resting in our Lord, reading His Word, talking to Him, memorizing, journaling – these are all things that lead us closer to Him.

How can you find your restful place? Look around you, and think about where makes you feel calmest. Is it in your bedroom, sitting on your bed? Is it a reading nook you’ve claimed somewhere in your house? Is it outside on your porch, or under your favorite tree? Wherever it is, make it a point to go there more. And once you go start going there often, go there even more until you form a habit of taking time each day to simply rest in our Savior. It is essential to your Spiritual wellbeing as well as physical. Now I know some of you may be thinking, “I wish I could do that but with my work, ministry, church, friends, chores, to-do list I can never find time…” Let me ask you; do you have a phone? What do you do on there? Do you use social media, do you watch YouTube or Disney+, do you play games? How much time do you spend on those things? Or maybe you enjoy winding down by watching tv for a couple hours every night. Do you see where I’m going? We may not think we have time, but in reality, we really do. Each of us has something we can cut down on in order to spend time with Jesus. And besides, phones are proven to cause elevated anxiety, so when you want to relax, why are you using it for hours on end? I am writing this to myself just as much as to you. I’ve been convicted I spend far too much time on my phone, and far too little time with Jesus I’m ashamed to say. What I’ve noticed lately though is when I let myself use all my time that I should be using to read God’s Word on my phone instead, I don’t feel restful. Deep down I know it’s wrong, it doesn’t reap eternal rewards, and it doesn’t fill me with God’s peace. When you get to Heaven do you want to know you spent your time investing in Jesus and all things of His or do you want to find out you wasted countless hours on a piece of technology that simply faded away in the end? I know which one I want to be known for.

But how do we do this? You can start by logging out of all your social media accounts, putting your phone on silent, setting it down and leaving it there. Flip it over so you are not tempted to pick it up. Put it out of your sight if you must. Then get your supplies – your Bible, journal(s), highlighters, - whatever you need. Maybe even treat yourself by brewing a cup of your favorite hot beverage. And then sit there. Just rest. Breathe. Read. Write. Pray. Be with Jesus – like you would with a friend. Talk to Him about everything, bring everything you have to Him, ask for forgiveness if you know you need to, pray for your friends and family who need prayer. Just bask in the beautiful rest God grants you in this place.
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And once you are finished there, don’t leave your rest – your peace – in that place. Bring it with you wherever you go. You have that phone with you wherever you go, don’t you? Bring your peace with you too. Bring it with you in your heart, you mind and your soul. Pray, talk with God throughout your day. Meditate on the Scripture you read during your rest. Think on heavenly things. And watch how it transforms your day.
So, my challenge to you all today is to rest in Jesus. Everyday. I’m taking this challenge as well so why don’t we do it together? Are you ready to have your life transformed – to experience peace? Let’s go to our restful places together and drink deeply from the well of God’s goodness.