Our Heavenly Father intends that any pauses in regular activity become pauses with purpose. Rather than welcome such pauses, I often resist. His intention usually encompasses our slowing down to linger in His Presence to connect with Him at a richer, fuller level.
I am a get-it-done kind of girl, not even allowing the word pause a place in my daily vocabulary. Just ask my husband! I frequently plan travel routes around the city, avoiding traffic lights and stop signs. Once my wheels are rolling (literally and figuratively), I barrel toward my destination. So when God puts a halt to my action, it throws me off balance.
Pause means “a brief interruption in action or speech, to stop, cease, halt, discontinue, or take a break.” Pauses such as winter seasons form essential purposes in the natural just as much as in the spiritual landscape of our lives. Some pauses only slightly alter one’s routine, others interrupt it completely — a cancer diagnosis, a job termination, a marriage breakup …
Usually in the unexpected pause, God captures our attention, slows us down, and helps us to refocus on the main things — Himself and the people around us. In these moments, He reminds us just how much we need Him.
“He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.”
Psalm 23:2
Forced Inaction
Do you see the forced inaction of this verse? “He makes me to lie down.”
When livestock willingly lay down, chewing their cuds and half dozing in the sun, they thrive. Rest indicates good health. But the opposite also holds true. An agitated, restless herd, always on the move, never performs well. God knows the same applies to us, as His children — the flock of His pastures.
Through Jesus and the finished work on the cross, God made a way for us to rest, find contentment, and enjoy quiet moments of refreshing and inactivity. No amount of performance or striving pleases Him. He already looks at us with favor.
In love, He brings us to green pastures, where provision is easy, allowing us to rest with Him beside quiet water. The Shepherd stays with His sheep! These pauses with purpose, give opportunity to draw strength and help from Him.
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me — watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Matthew 11:29-30 MSG
Resting with Jesus
God designed this pause to “recover your life!” Our emotional and spiritual lives depend on making the most of these God interruptions — to not allow them to slip through the sands of time without accomplishing His good in us. We will either rest or resist! We choose! Will we push through, carrying on as usual, denying God permission to go deep, transforming us? Or will we give Him permission to use these pauses for His purpose?
The beloved apostle John recognized our drive to do, to be, and to attain. He reminds us that our Source comes not from scurrying around, but from a place of resting in Jesus Christ.
“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:4-5
We learn so much from nature. The older the branch becomes the less distinction we see between where the vine ends and the branch begins. The two merge with beauty and synergy; one flows smoothly into the other. The rich nutrients the vine pulls from the soil ebb into the branch with such fulness that the branch naturally produces to its full potential.
So it should be with us! As we rest, abide, and remain close to the Lord all that is in Him flows into us. From that place of rest comes a productivity we could never achieve through effort. How amazing! Pauses with purpose — pausing in His Presence, with His Word, in listening and petitioning prayer, finding pleasure in Him — produces fruitful vitality.
The Gift of Rest
We gain many benefits from rest, or pauses with purpose, such as
- generates energy, mental clarity, and resilience
- helps to prevent injuries and improve overall performance
- supports a heathy immune system and regenerates us physically
- manages stress levels and lowers blood pressure
- improves emotional wellbeing and mental health
- sharpens our spiritual focus and fosters vision
- prepares us for the next season of fruitfulness
Why would we (or rather I) resist God’s invitation to welcome His pauses with purpose?
Rest calls for personal transformation. As we spend time alone with God, practicing gratitude, setting healthy work and social boundaries, engaging the senses in a way that recharges and energizes, turning off social media and away from addictive substitutes. If we resist or deny the call to pursue spiritual rest, we defeat God’s purpose for HIs pauses.
God gifts us with rest.
“In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat — for he grants sleep to those he loves.”
Psalm 127:2
If we refuse to willingly slow down, He will (in love) “make us to lie down” — sometimes allowing difficult circumstances to come into our lives that knock us off our feet of self-sufficiency.
With Him
Remaining, abiding, and connecting with God in a continuous manner brings us to our greatest fulfilment and satisfaction. God made us spiritual beings. As much as culture boasts the benefits of other avenues to spiritual satisfaction, nothing brings us to health and wholeness like abiding with Jesus. No other substitutes compare to Him. None!
Jesus Christ is life! In Him is fullness!
Do you feel a brokenness in your relationship with God? Disconnected from the Shepherd of our souls? Oh, my friend, turn to Him today. Confess any area of alienation. Quickly return to your rightful place in Him. May you find rest and refreshing in His Presence and renewed strength for this and future season.
May our hearts rest in His goodness and the fullness of His provision and may we all draw again from the rich flow of His Presence.
**********