THINK TOGETHER
Do you like to take rests? Why or why not?
READ TOGETHER
Have you ever watched parents try to put a baby to sleep but that baby doesn’t want to go to sleep? The little baby becomes a ferocious monster just because you want her to sleep. Or what about you? Have mom and dad ever asked you to take a nap or have “quiet time,” and you just couldn’t stop moving and wanting to play and run around?
Well that’s sort of what it’s like for Christians. God is asking us to rest. To stop trying to prove how great we are, but we just can’t stop. We can’t slow down. We can’t stop working, and performing, and proving ourselves. Listen to how the book of Hebrews describes it here:
Hebrews 4:8-11. 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. 9 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.
11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.
Do you know what an oxymoron is? An oxymoron is when you put two opposite things together to make a whole new truth. Hebrews uses an oxymoron – “strive to enter that rest.”
Strive and rest are opposites but together they describe how we should live.
Strive to rest.
Work hard at not working to earn your salvation.
Master having to not be your own master.
Become great at not having to be the greatest.
Rest.
Jesus wants us to rest in him. He wants us to know that he has already done everything for us. He has defeated sin and death for us on the cross. As Hebrews says, God wants us to rest from our works just as God did from his. Do you remember how God rested on the seventh day after he created everything? He could rest because his work was done. And when it comes to us being forgiven and saved, God’s work is also already done through Jesus.
There’s nothing left for you to do except trust in Jesus.
You can’t make God love you any more than he already does, and you can’t make God love you any less. You can’t do any more than what Jesus has already done.
So rest. Enjoy God. Trust him. Live from his love for you. If you have trusted in Jesus for salvation, then God loves you no matter what.
Because of Jesus we don’t have to work to be loved and saved by God.
With Jesus we can rest in his love.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
Together as a family put some work on hold and take a rest instead. Play a game, take a relaxing walk, nap on the couch, or watch a favorite movie.
PRAY TOGETHER
Jesus,
You did all the work for me so that now I can rest in you. Help me to stop trying to prove how great I am all the time and just trust that you love me.
Amen.
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