Part ii

It is my hope that you completed that assignment. If not, the good thing about that assignment is…. it is actually how we should govern our Christian walk. So if you ever want to truly walk as God intends, you must learn to answer everything by God’s word. It is a process. A process I am still working to perfect myself. Either way it is not too late. Write down those things and feelings that keep you from resting completely in Christ, find scriptures that counter those feelings and correct those bad habits. Meditate on those scriptures and when you pray ask God to conform you to His way.

Rest as we discussed is absolutely essential in our walk with Christ. It is not taking a break. Or having a lazy Saturday in bed, pause… I love those days. But this rest is a consistent stance in our approach when faced with the hardships of life. Previously we briefly discussed how Satan uses the times we do not rest in Christ as a opportunity to wear us out so we will not actively engage in the pursuit to hold on to faith in Christ. On that note, let us start where everything starts, the beginning. What is rest in its most idyllic state? It is complete relaxation, free from stress and worry… sounds like bliss, doesn’t it?  A standard definition of rest is relief or freedom, especially from anything that wearies, troubles, or disturbs. It is a period of inactivity, repose, solitude or tranquility, mental or spiritual calm, the repose of death, cessation or absence of motion. What a mouthful! So many aspects of this definition we should give our attention. The way the definition reads is that there are many aspects and levels to rest. And it is God’s desire that we continuously live in complete rest, not just a portion of it.  But how do we get to this rest? 

Romans 5:3-4 says, “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope.” God shows us that there is a process of getting to complete rest in Him. However, that does not mean it has to take long. This process as we can see from the scripture consists of tribulation—hardships, tests, trials—all of which cannot be avoided in life, seasons of waiting, and a combination of both—tribulation and waiting, which the scriptures refer to as experience. However, for the believer—one who clings to, adheres to, and follows Christ—this is your moment to grow and mature into the complete rest of Christ. At the end, the scripture says this growth leads to hope. Not wishful thinking or just believing… But it is an assurance a peace a rest that can only come by going through these hardships and processes with Christ. There is no way around it… believe me, I have tried. Learning how to live a life in complete surrender to Christ is not easy. You have to resolve to always be an enemy to self. It is not self-hatred but a realization that our flesh (our natural nature our human-ness) does not want to do the will of God (Matthew 26:41). The more we kill our un-regenerated nature –the nature without the Holy Spirit living inside. The more we will walk in the Spirit and not the flesh. For it is the only way to please God (Romans 8:8).

I read somewhere that God is a God of processes. Instead of just telling us where we falter, He takes us through events and or situations to show us who we really are. Why? You may ask … well, honestly we are most times too prideful to see ourselves how we really are (Proverbs 21:2). And it takes events that you cannot control to stir the pot so to speak. I cannot say that I love these processes, but I am maturing daily to accept them. And often it is not that we cannot accept that life is not perfect, we often cannot accept how its imperfection displays in us. Learning to rest or live a life that is striving towards the eternal rest takes practice and the processes of God to get us to the place He wants us to be.

So I leave this blog "short" because I want us to think of the many processes we forfeited because we just did not like it (2 Timothy 2:3-5). How many missed opportunities we let slip to learn how to trust in God more? And then think of that eternal rest in Christ. To be caught up with Christ and rewarded for being a faithful steward... And now ask yourself, how can I sincerely  cultivate my life, with the Holy Spirit,  to gain the ultimate prize—heaven? 

We are still in Hebrews 4 … Next blog we will dive into the eternal rest written of in this chapter. We are not just serving Christ to be religious… We are living to live again.

Until Next Time

Let’s Be Converts