The world runs on urgency. Productivity is prized. Busyness is worn as a badge.

But the Bible offers a countercultural invitation: rest. Not as a reward for effort, but as a rhythm built into creation itself.

God rested on the seventh day. Not because he was tired, but to model for us the cadence by which flourishing happens.

A few practical thoughts:

Rest is not laziness. Laziness avoids responsibility. Rest restores capacity so we can show up fully.

Rest requires trust. To stop is to believe the world keeps turning without your effort. That is, at root, a posture of faith.

Rest is communal. The Sabbath was practiced together. We are not designed to recover alone.

This week: what would one genuine act of rest look like for you?

So I saw this guy preaching yesterday at Kerry Shook’s Church, Woodlands Church.

He said when he was a kid, his dad was somewhat influential, & played golf at the country club. One day, one of his golf buddies approached him for some money. In exchange, he offered some ownership in a burger joint he was planning to start. He requested for $950. His dad came home & told them about it & laughed, saying he’ll never give the guy a dime. That amount was nothing to his dad by the way.

It turned out that the man asking for the money was Ray Kroc & the burger joint was what became McDonalds.

All those other golf buddies who took up the offer became multi millionaires.

His lesson: like in the real world, with God, one has to take risks to grow spiritually.

–

O.J