Dear Christian Soldier, Have You Forgotten Spiritual Rest?

Several weeks ago, I had the wonderful opportunity of going to stay with a missionary teammate in an extremely Islamic village. The experience taught me so much about missions, God, people, the brokenness in our world, …and it taught me about myself. See, oftentimes when we’re in a stressful or overwhelming environment we see our own flaws, habits, and characteristics in a more realistic light. And through all of that, the lesson that stuck out to me the most is this: I need spiritual rest.

And so do you.

You Cannot Pour from An Empty Cup

By the fourth day of my trip with this missionary teammate, I was exhausted. We had planned for that day to be less full, allowing us a little “breathing time” between various ministries. Early that morning, I pulled out my journal and wrote the following:

I have learned, this week, that we must have faith and trust that He will keep us ready and able to share [His love] with those around us, filling our cups every morning. But how can we approach those around us with hearts pouring out love if we are not living in that love?

 I truly believe Yahweh had a clear purpose for Shabbat [i.e., Sabbath]. As a follower of Jesus, I do not believe that we are held to the same laws as the Jews did through the Torah and Old Testament; however, we do serve the same God. It is so truly easy to get burnt out and become spiritually dry. How can we serve Him to the best of our abilities if we are not truly spiritually healthy ourselves? The truth is, whether we like it or not, we need spiritual rest.

You cannot pour from an empty cup.

Before You Rest, Fight Well

I believe we must know how to fight well before we can truly understand how to rest well (and the importance of it). While staying with the lovely missionary mentioned above, we were always on the go. From hanging out with the kids, meeting with locals, visiting new mamas and their babies at the clinic, spending time with neighbors, or simply engaging in cultural events and traditions, we were constantly moving and taking bits of the gospel with us everywhere we went. It was a beautiful experience! However, because of the oppressive setting, I saw more fruit in my own faith in the opportunity to serve others than I saw in that of those we were ministering to. And that is not entirely a bad thing! We were planting seeds as we were able while also allowing ourselves to grow in the process.

Being a soldier for Christ is not always easy. In fact, it can be exhausting, overwhelming, and discouraging at times. For some, it is even dangerous. In 2 Timothy 2:1-13, we learn about the “good soldier of Christ.” I encourage you to read the whole passage as it is quite powerful, but verses 3 and 4 say, “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.”

Therefore, we know that our lives as Christians should not revolve solely around spiritual rest. We can, and will, grow “in battle” as we seek to “share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus” and “aim to please the one who enlisted us.” We need to fight well so that we can rest well.

Rest Well Even When You Cannot Fight Well

As I mentioned above, I do think we will best understand how to rest well if we are actively fighting well. However, sometimes we are in such a low spot spiritually that we cannot fight well. Sometimes we must rest well to remember why we fight well.

If we are not in a healthy place spiritually it is unwise for us to go into the “battlefield.” A couple years ago, I was in a car accident; consequently, I had to wear a neck brace for two weeks due to whiplash. At that time, I was also teaching a ballet class to a group of young girls. A mother of one of the students came up to me after the crash and asked if I would still be holding ballet class that week (since I had not yet cancelled). I said yes, determined I could handle it even if I did have a neck brace. And ya know what? I did. But truth be told, I was in much more pain after the ordeal than I was before.

Though we love to imagine that we are “superhuman” and can push ourselves to keep going even when we are drowning in the endless waves life throws at us…we can’t. We fight until we cannot take it any longer and then we fall. But, friend, that’s not how God designed it to be. We cannot always be on the battlefield…just like a business employee cannot go to work day after day for years upon end without receiving one break. People get sick, tired, and overwhelmed! And the truth is that the same will happen in your walk with God. You will have spiritual lows. You need spiritual rest.

Rest Because God Wants You To

I think sometimes Christians today have this idea that God simply allows rest when the truth is that it goes so much deeper than that. God does not simply allow or permit rest…He created rest! And He created you and I to need that rest.

Hebrews 4:1-13 talks about how we, as believers, can truly enter God’s rest. Verses 9-10 say, “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.” Our Creator knows our weaknesses. He knows we cannot healthily push ourselves day after day without rest. He knows that to fight well for Him, we must also rest well in Him. Sabbath is for you and me to value the spiritual rest our weary hearts so desperately need.

Ultimate Rest is Only Found in, and Satisfied by, Jesus

Matthew 11:28-30 says, ^“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Our human hearts are prone to anxiety and fear. We are quick to become overwhelmed with the world around us. But “…. God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7). Therefore, in Christ alone, by His grace alone, we can truly rest. He is the heart-song playing on repeat in our souls, He is the light in our eyes, He is why we press on…and why we rest. Because to fight well for Him, we must rest well in Him. We cannot pour from an empty cup.

Do you notice the beauty in it all, friend? Have you seen that breathtaking theme of love woven into each of these verses? You see, God has commanded us to pursue spiritual rest because He cares for us. He cares so dearly for each and every one of His little ones. We are precious in His eyes. Yahweh knows we need spiritual rest so that we can grow in Him, He knows we need it because our hearts become weary, He knows we need it because we are human, and we are broken…and we need Him.

Maybe it’s time for us to breathe between the battles for His name’s sake…and to value the grace He offers in spiritual rest with Him.

So, dear soldier in Christ…don’t forget you need to rest.