Come To Me and Rest

by Chris Mullis

“So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation” (Genesis 2:1-3).

We live in a hectic world that values productivity. Studies show that 60% of Americans don’t get enough sleep. Lack of sleep increases the risk of obesity, heart disease, and breast cancer. It also leads to car accidents and medical errors.

It’s not just a lack of sleep that plagues us. There is also a lack of resting—a time when we just refrain from working. Studies show that 1/3 of Americans don’t take vacation time even when their jobs offer it. When people do take a vacation, they rarely use the time to “rest.” Instead, they fill the vacation with too many activities. Have you ever returned from a vacation feeling like you needed a vacation from your vacation?

In our world, the idea that God rested and that He made “resting” a Holy commandment may seem alien. Yet, rest is essential to healthy living. God wants us to take time to “Be still and know that He is God” (Psalm 46:10). When we pause from our labors and other distractions, we have time to remember who we are and who God is and to just enjoy life. When we do not rest, we are less human than God wants us to be.

The very first thing God calls “holy” in the Bible is the Sabbath rest. A weekly day of rest was so essential that it became one of the most important religious laws in the Bible. It was a day that God ordered teachers and priests and prophets to defend again and again.

In Mark 2:27, Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.” This is a reminder not to let religious devotion to the Sabbath outweigh common sense or common decency. However, it also reminds us the Sabbath is an incredible gift from God—something we need. The Bible tells us it was Jesus’ custom to worship God in the synagogue each Sabbath. He also took time to leave the crowds and His disciples to go away to be alone and pray.

Work is important, but working too much can be an addiction as destructive as alcoholism. We need to rest and worship. Worship is when we remember the wonder of God and His goodness and express our gratitude. Worship reminds us of our proper place in creation and opens us up to the voice of God who reveals where we need to grow.

Are you weary from carrying heavy burdens? Are you working yourself to death trying to do too much? Are you weighed down with grief, guilt, worry, stress,

loneliness, disappointments, shame, or anxiety? The grace of God through Jesus Christ calls to you: “Come, and I will give you rest.” Jesus wants to wash away your sins and give you a brand-new life where you don’t have to carry the impossible expectations of others or even your own unrealistic expectations. Jesus wants you to use your time reasonably. Jesus’ yoke fits perfectly and allows for work and worship and rest so you can fully enjoy the amazing life God created in you and all around.

So what’s stopping you from coming to Jesus today?

About The Author

Rev. Chris Mullis is an ordained minister of the United Methodist Church with a Masters of Divinity from Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Pastor Chris’s ministry has spanned twenty years and four different churches in Georgia. Chris is currently serving God as the senior pastor of Pleasant Grove Methodist Church located at 2701 Cleveland Hwy in Dalton, GA.