Choose to Rest Rather Than Worry: Part II - Sounds great, but HOW?

Are you tired of going through each day exhausted? My friend who happens to be a school counselor and I have joked about making and wearing a t-shirt that says, "Why am I so tired?" We joked that we would probably sell quite a few. Resting in Jesus sounds great....hummmn, but I really don't know how. How can we actually rest in Him when we have never seen or heard Jesus physically? Resting "in" someone seems strange. What does THAT mean?

The best way for a practical mind to grasp this concept is to compare it to when we physically rest. When we take a nap or go to bed for the evening, how do we actually rest and fall asleep? It takes a clearing of our minds and a total release of control or relaxation, along with a general sense of being safe. When we can't sleep it is usually caused by our minds reliving a situation or conversation that happened during the day trying to figure out what we could have done differently to change the outcome. Maybe our minds are doing our best to plan for what will we have to do in the coming day or days. We are still working. It is no wonder we can't fall asleep and allow our bodies to rest. Resting in Jesus during our waking hours is very much like resting our bodies as we sleep.

First Peter 5:6-7 says, Therefore humble yourselves [acknowledge that you cannot do it alone] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you, casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.

The only way to have energy and stamina in our lives is to play by God's rules, and He says we must quit worrying if we want to have peace. So when we have a tough situation arise, we need God's help. How do we get it? First Peter 5:6-7 says: 1) humble yourselves, and 2) cast your care on Him.



We are great at 2)casting our cares to Jesus. We pray like crazy about many things asking for God's divine intervention, but we tend to be like fishermen. We cast out the line, only to reel it back in. We rehash and over analyze and try to take a stab at fixing a challenge ourselves again because we think we know best. We try to trust in ourselves once again, and why do we do that? ... Because we have yet to humble ourselves.

Humbling ourselves is very difficult for us to do. The world tells us that we have to be strong and smart. We have to be saavy to survive. We have to prepare, plot, and plan. We must TRY HARDER. With all those messages coming at us it is no wonder we struggle. Humbling ourselves is not natural to us. We have to overcome the flesh and messages around us and admit that we are limited as a human beings. When we humble ourselves and ask for His help, then He's able to release His power in our situations. It's only then that we can really enjoy life.

How do we humble ourselves in practical terms?

Admit that we don't have the power, knowledge, or ability to resolve the issues we face each day. Remember to connect to Jesus and take on His yoke. Say an inner prayer that goes something like this, "I know my mind is just a human one that doesn't have all the answers. I am not omniscient or omnipresent, but Jesus, You are. You know. Release your power into this situation, so that the best possible resolution can be found and accomplished. I will do what I can and leave the rest to you. I give up control and put this challenge out of my mind and into your hands. You already know the outcome, and I know that in YOU the right outcome will occur. In your powerful name, I pray."

So the cure for worry is humbling ourselves before God, casting our cares on Him, and trusting Him. Instead of reeling the concern and worry about our student, that parent, or a co-worker, back into ourselves, God wants us to place our trust in Him and enter into His rest, totally giving it all away to His care. I know that when we are able to believe and say, "God, I trust You," it will literally change our lives. Psalm 37:3 says, Trust…in the Lord and do good.... God didn't create us to worry about helping ourselves all the time. He wants us to sow good seed by reaching out to help others. When we simply trust God and get busy doing the good things we know to do, then He'll bring a harvest of blessings into our lives and meet our needs.

Lord,

I pray that we can truly humble ourselves before you and give up our cares and concerns. We know that over-analyzing and rehashing issues is unproductive and exhausting. We admit that we are not able to do our work alone. Help us to truly release our cares to you trust and acknowledge that you have it all under control without us. We want to rest in you and enjoy the blessings and energy of a good life that you have planned for us. I die to myself and give my whole being over to You. Jesus, it is in Your powerful name I pray. Amen.