SWEET REST
By Meredith Swift
Sweet rest.
A time to slow down.
Overwhelm stopped in its tracks.
Glorious restoration.
I can breathe again!
Before COVID-19 lockdown, I was struggling with overwhelm, juggling the demands of full-time work whilst spreading myself thinly between church, meeting up with friends, being a mother, keeping up with housework, finding the time to write, do some exercise and eat right. I was also trying to be a “presence” on social media, which I find to be a struggle at the best of times. I am one of those people who — with great intentions to contribute regularly — joins groups on Facebook, only to find my contributions are anything but consistent.
These demands and striving to “do” became like an idol, with the potential to consume me if they were put above my time with Jesus. It was a trap. Because when Jesus died on that Cross, He did it to restore the relationship between us and our Heavenly Father. And that relationship must be our most important one. We are to do less and pray more, have more quiet time to read and meditate on His Word and be in His presence. Being so overwhelmed and exhausted by the demands of the natural world is a sure-fire way to miss hearing that still, small voice and the whisperings of the Holy Spirit sent to guide us, which, as believers, indwells all of us. Fixing my eyes on Jesus means I am putting Him first, as He beckons me to follow Him, in His sweet and unpressured way. Unpressured does not mean unconvicted. When I read His words in Holy Scripture, and listen for His still, small voice, there is such authority that I am naturally convicted.
Lockdown has taught me that, when I allow it and surrender to it, I am healthier and naturally drawn to be more of a Mary, sitting at His feet, than a Martha, buzzing around and doing, doing, doing. We see from Scripture (Luke 10:38-40) that both Martha and her sister Mary knew Jesus well, and both would sit at His feet and hear His word. But on this occasion, as Martha welcomed Jesus into her house, she was distracted with much serving and complained that Mary was not helping her. She wanted Jesus to tell Mary to help her. Jesus’ answer to this was perfect (as usual) — Luke 10:41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 “But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
This suggests that being at Jesus’ feet, soaking in His presence, takes preference over the serving and doing part, which Martha was distracted by, with many things worrying and troubling her. Only one thing is needed, and Mary was the sister who made the choice to go deeper in her relationship with Jesus.
We must never allow our genuine, good works to distract us from cultivating that intimate relationship with Jesus which comes from our hearts. Remember, the Lord looks at the heart, not the outer trappings (1 Samuel 16:7). Like any intimate relationship, we must choose to invest time in it, for it to flourish. Nothing should be more important than coming before our Heavenly Father, especially when the demands and distractions of this world can appear so pressing. If we choose to not come before Him, we are automatically separating ourselves from Him.
The separation gives the enemy an opportunity to whisper the lies into our spirits that he specialises in (John 8:44) and to weaken our ability to discern what is of God and what is not (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). Remember, we have a choice whether or not to lean in close to Jesus, who asked us to cast our cares on Him (Psalm 55:22) and He will sustain us; who asked us to come to Him if we are weary and heavy laden, and He will give us rest (Matthew 11:28). He wants all of us – the good, the bad and the ugly. Remember, as our Creator He knows everything about us anyway, so we just need to trust Him and freely give Him all that is occurring moment by moment in our lives.
I had another time of lockdown around three years ago, when my elder daughter Sarah, became very unwell. She is non-verbal and autistic so she could not tell me what the matter was, but suffice to say, she was gravely ill, and the doctors could not give a diagnosis. I was isolated and housebound during that time, feeling terribly alone, and Jesus was there for me, meeting me exactly where I was and soothing and comforting my raw and fragile spirit. It was like I was in a bubble, just me, Sarah, and Jesus. I would care for Sarah, feeding her, making sure she drank and helping her to go to the toilet. She was unable to bathe, so I would give her a sponge bath. I also washed her feet, which was something I unexpectedly came to realise was an act of loving service that was both truly humbling and powerful in its intensity.
Eventually Sarah recovered fully, but the blessing of that time of lockdown is something I will carry in my heart forever. It was during that time I learned to truly rest in Jesus. I dropped my burden of always being busy and always being able to do everything, all at once, as He reassured me His yoke was light. I came to know that not just physical rest was essential, but spiritual rest. A rest from the busyness of life and from the natural world. By leaning in close to Jesus and trusting Him, by spending time in His presence, I remembered anew the covenant I entered into with Jesus when I became born-again. Refreshing my parched spirit with His presence was the best rest I could ever know. He reassured me that I could do less and accomplish more when I was able to rest in Him. As Hebrews 4:9 tells us There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. 10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
This time of lockdown has been a golden opportunity to lean in closer to Jesus and take that extended time to be with Him. And when this time has passed and the lockdown becomes just a memory, I want to continue to lean into my Lord and Saviour Jesus, putting Him first and foremost and choosing always to sink into the sweet and precious rest that He promises — and delivers!
Sweet rest.
A time to slow down.
Overwhelm stopped in its tracks.
Glorious restoration.
I can breathe again!
God bless you all.
