Rest is a weapon. Several weeks ago, that phrase gripped my attention. My friend, Christ (rhymes with “wrist”) John Otto, shared it through his Friday email and I quickly asked if he would write a guest post for this community.
As you know, I’ve been thinking, practicing and writing about Rest for a while now. I also thought it was apropos in light of my new book on rest – Rest Assured.
Previously available only as an e-book, Rest Assured is now available as a paperback on Amazon!
But without further ado, here is what Christ Otto had to say about rest.
Rest Is A Weapon by Christ Otto
2019 is a year of preparation for what is coming. We are headed into uncharted territory, and we need to learn new ways of doing things. And key to the new way is learning to rest.
Again and again I hear stories of people who are given a task from the Lord and then, after they have done all they could in their own strength, they “surrender it to the Lord” and it all works out.
Friends, that’s not a testimony.
God has a much better way for you than try harder, frustration, and surrender. Think of all the resources and time that are wasted in that process. There is a better way.
Rest is a weapon.
Graham Cooke said that many years ago.
Rest is a weapon. It was the powerful weapon God used to free Israel from Egypt. “Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.”
If the Israelite’s had tried to fight, they would have lost. In standing still they gave God the opportunity to fight for them.
Rest is making the deliberate choice to be weak. God makes you powerful in weakness. Rest is giving space for God to act on your behalf.
We often miss how God does things:
If we ask for power, he makes us weak.
If we ask for faith, he gives us impossibilities.
If we ask for love, he puts us in scary situations.
If we ask for patience, he makes us wait.
And rest is also about giving you time to regroup and recover.
Sometimes we think there is something noble about pushing through, working until exhaustion, and living on a long adrenaline rush.
There is nothing noble about it at all. That’s living from the outside in, living from the fall, not the kingdom. Hebrews tells us that there is a Sabbath rest for the people God.
In Exodus 34 the command to rest one day a week, the release of creativity for worship, and the release of abundant provision are interwoven.
Rest,
Creativity,
and provision…
God’s plan for your life is to rest into victory and rest into him.
This week I challenge you to “waste an hour with Jesus” doing nothing. Turn off the screen, disconnect from the world around you, let your mind wander, and breathe. Give yourself a break, and rest. You might feel guilty at first, but you will be amazed at how much God can work in your life when you give Him space.
Christ (rhymes with “wrist”) Otto is the director of Belonging House, an international hub for artists and creative people. He holds degrees from Houghton College and Asbury Theological Seminary. Since 1986 he has worked in a variety of media as a freelance artist. He blogs at Belonginghouse.org, and sends out a weekly email to a growing global audience.
