As we head into this new year, how many voices do you hear calling to you? Come do this; come spend time here; come pay attention to this; and on and on. Maybe the loudest voice is your own calling you to new goals, new resolves, new commitments. And then there is that still small voice of Jesus saying, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” What an awesome invitation. It sounds restful just hearing the words. Could it be? Could rest really be the by-product of a relationship?
The answer is a resounding yes, primarily grounded in the character of the one offering the invitation. But how do we respond? How do we enter in to this rest? I would suggest to you that it is not through a program, but through a posture of your heart. As we develop a posture of leaning into Jesus, instinctively turning to Him in the stuff of life, His promise is that He will give you rest. As with any friendship, so with Jesus. The more I connect, the more I consider, the more I turn to my friend, the stronger the friendship becomes.
The “rest” of Jesus comes out of a relationship with Jesus. That’s my prayer for my life and for yours as we turn the corner into 2016.