Resting SZN
This post was originally shared in The Good Letter - Vol. 7
“The Lord is my best friend and my shepherd. I always have more than enough. He offers a resting place for me in his luxurious love.
His tracks take me to an oasis of peace, the quiet brook of bliss. That’s where he restores and revives my life.
He opens before me pathways to God’s pleasure and leads me along in his footsteps of righteousness so that I can bring honor to his name. Lord, even when your path takes me through the valley of deepest darkness, fear will never conquer me, for you already have!
You remain close to me and lead me through it all the way. Your authority is my strength and my peace. The comfort of your love takes away my fear. I’ll never be lonely, for you are near.
You become my delicious feast even when my enemies dare to fight. You anoint me with the fragrance of your Holy Spirit; you give me all I can drink of you until my heart overflows.
So why would I fear the future? For your goodness and love pursue me all the days of my life. Then afterward, when my life is through, I’ll return to your glorious presence to be forever with you!”
Psalms 23:1-6 (The Passion Translation)
I've been thinking of what to write in this letter and initially, I thought I'd talk to you about the #EndSars movement in Nigeria but honestly, trying to put my words together on how I feel is still difficult for me, but I'll say this - I am hopeful in Christ Jesus.
While debating on what to share with you I realised that God wanted me to write about Resting In Him... I know, I know we're back here again.
When I wrote the first good letter, "Rest In Peace" in April, what I didn't mention was that "Rest" was something God had been talking to me about since the start of the year and by April I really thought I knew it all. However month after month it seems that God keeps revealing another layer of understanding.
A few days ago a friend and I had been talking about the things God had been teaching me about resting in Him and she asked, "why do you think you're still learning about rest? Is it because you haven't learnt the lesson you were supposed to learn?" I paused to think carefully about my answer because it would have been easy to say yes, assuming that I had not passed my "Rest In Him" test, and therefore I needed to retake my exam (every month). After a few seconds, I replied, "No, I don't think it's because I didn't or haven't learnt the lesson I'm supposed to learn, I just don't think the class is over."
God keeps emphasising rest to me because He wants me to really really get it, to the point that it becomes how I live EVERY. SINGLE. DAY! And this rest is not just the sleeping kind, but it's the complete-trusting-in-Him kind, the pause-and-breathe kind, the don't-beat-yourself-up-everyday kind, the do-one-thing-at-a-time kind and honestly, it's a lot to grasp. You see friend, I know and I understand what God is teaching me, but just as the father of the sick child said to Jesus, "I believe, but help my unbelief."
One of the lessons that God taught me about rest was with an analogy:
Imagine inviting a friend over to your place and promising to cook and entertain them because you can and because you want to.
You tell your friend not to bring anything because you have everything you need, they just need to show up.
The doorbell rings, you open the door to see your friend with BAGS of groceries and kitchen appliances top chefs wished they owned.
You're shocked of course. Lost for words. The only word you can get out is a very feeble "but".
"Won't you let me in?" Your friend asks with the biggest grin.
You're still stunned (a little annoyed, I mean what about all the food you prepared?)
Your friend laughs and embraces you shouting “surprise” and goes on to give instruction that you're to relax and not lift a finger.
You really don't want to just sit and relax while your guest is cooking you a meal (this wasn't your plan), so you ask to help and again you're given the same instruction.
To feel 'better' you sit by the breakfast counter watching the meal being prepared, giving off uni group project vibes LOL.
You gist and laugh with this friend while the food is being prepared, forgetting that you had cooked earlier because what you're smelling is ETERNITY TIMES better than what you've made (but don't, worry, this friend wastes nothing).
It's time to eat.
It's the best meal you've ever eaten, with so many courses you've lost count and it's the best time you've ever had, with the best person you've ever known.
And this is what resting in God looks like, opening the door for Him to enter the kitchen of your life. It's sitting back gisting, praying, laughing, getting to know this True Friend and trusting Him as He makes and presents you with a meal made in love, with Himself as the secret ingredient. Resting in God is knowing that each course is served with perfect timing; you learn to enjoy one course at a time and each course is filling yet you yearn for more because you know you'll discover new flavours.
This is such an ideal scenario, so why then do we still choose to do it all when we've been asked to chill?
And I say we, because friend, I don't believe this is a struggle unique to me.
A few days after having our initial conversation, my friend and I were on the phone talking about rest again. Between the both of us we were trying to answer the question above and this is what we concluded:
We struggle to accept that resting in God is necessary because we're not taught to rest (even in physical terms). We love the idea of resting in God but living it out is hard. The reason why it's hard for us is that we live in a "keep doing, keep hustling, don't stop" culture. This culture isn't new, it has always been and it's a culture that celebrates self while discrediting dependency making it seem weak, therefore distorting our view of God when He asks us to rely on Him for all our needs. For example, it's the reason why unbelieving rich people find it hard to accept God, because if they can give themselves all that the world has to offer, what else can God give?
We've become obsessed with doing and achieving that we don't even know how to appreciate things being done for us, nor do we know how to enjoy a day of doing nothing for fear that we're wasting time or we're missing out. We don't even know how not to post our every thought, move or achievement because we don't know how to rest. The culture of self has us running a fictional race, robbing us of the great prize that true rest brings - a friendship with God.
We experience Real Rest when we give God room to occupy every aspect of our lives; like the Good Chef that He is, He transforms us into exquisite and flavourful meals, if we allow Him to. His occupation at times may seem disruptive as pots and pans cling and clang, but I promise you, the meal that comes from God being in control of your 'kitchen' will be the best meal you've ever tasted.
And hear me when I say that there's nothing wrong with getting things done, having dreams, plans etc. but even so, we can rest in our doing when God is the one leading us. As I mentioned in April, this rest that God gives comes with peace, so do your doing well but more importantly rest well.
What does rest really look like for you and I?
Honestly, as I continue to learn how to give God back the omo-rogun (African wooden cooking spoon) of my life, I find myself praying this:
“LORD, help me to do what is necessary for today for the glory of your name. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
Yes, I make my plans, sometimes I even fail to meet my targets (knowing that I really could have gotten the task done), but when it's all said and done I thank God for the day, I thank God for what's been accomplished, I ask for the help and grace to stop slacking and I commit the days ahead into His hands.
When we don't rest in Him, it's because we trust our 'self' more.
When we don't rest in Him, it's because we believe He'll disappoint us.
But when we rest in Him, we make Him our First point of contact in all things.
When we rest in Him, we accept that He really does live up to His names, Good & Capable.
When we rest in Him, we trade hustle for the "quiet brook of bliss".
And the more we get to know Him, the more we can joyfully rest in Him.
As the year draws to an end and 2021-pressure-talks begin, my hope is that you and I give up our restlessness and hustle-mindsets for the Real Rest enjoyed in the loving arms of Jesus Christ, The One who fed 5,000+ people with five loaves of bread and two fish.
He knows what He is doing.
So rest well friend,
Love,
Olayide.M