True Spirituality Begins with Rest

by Victoria Gaines
Published September 5, 2007

"Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ." ~ Colossians 2: 16-18

Sometimes the best I can offer you is what crosses my mind when God opens my heart. We need truth not only to cross our minds, but to also take deep root in our hearts, changing us from the inside-out:

The real Sabbath is a Person, not a day in the week.

Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath. Apart from Him, I can do nothing.

The beginning of my fruitfulness for Him is not my Christian service or activity.

That's right, my spiritual life begins with REST.

Christ invites us to come, rest, and abide. . . for a reason. This is not an invitation to take a break from our struggles, but to give them up, once and for all. You can't do right. Neither can I. And so our striving is like filthy rags. Not to mention it wears us out.

As we learn the meaning of 'abide', we'll trust His fruit to grow in us, more and more. Not only that, but we find an end to our constant struggling, fighting, battling. Striving may be our human default mechanism, but Christ has set us free from all this.

Christ wants to 'grow and develop' His Life in us.

Meanwhile, we're hung up on living the appearance of the Christian life, doing what we think will draw us closer to Him and validate us in the eyes of others. Kinda tiresome, isn't it?

All the while He is simply waiting for us.

It's okay to stop trying to be the good little Christian. The end of our striving is rest and peace. It's the beginning of real spiritual growth and life in Jesus.

That's right, the cycle of trying to do right--then dealing with guilt when we fail--needs to be broken.

You and I will never live the Christian life by sheer determination. Our commitments and vows mean nothing without His power to carry them out.

His way is better. He is Lord of our Sabbath. Our Rest. He is the Source of Life. Jesus alone gives grace to rest, power to live, and supernatural strength and peace. You can't beat that with a stick.

Today I trust Him to do in me what I cannot possibly do for myself. I don't have to impress anyone, convince anyone, or get my ducks in a row. You don't have to, either.

That's rest to me. Pure Sabbath rest on a Thursday afternoon:
Resting. Believing. Trusting.

To know Jesus is to celebrate the fullness of His Sabbath, each and every day of the week.

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