A Life of Rest,
What does resting in the Lord look like? This is a frequent question that I struggle with; the inability to rest and enjoy life and even God for that matter. Something has always seemed to grip me and pull me into restlessness. Some words to describe how It makes me feel inside is tension, striving, or stressed. Lets try to give definition to this restlessness- the feeling that there is some thing more that I have to do or put in order to feel valued, affirmed, accepted, and loved.
First off our competitive culture tends to define rest as a place of idleness or being unproductive. But the biblical rest found in sonship is not a place without activity or fruitfulness. Rest is a posture of the heart of sonship that feels so sheltered in the Fathers love that it does not allow itself to be pulled into a place where we strive to feel values, affirmed, or secure. Abiding in rest is a place where all people will be drawn to us because everyone is searching for rest.
Second, feeling more secure and at rest in the Fathers love displaced much of my fear-fear of authority, fear of trusting , fear of rejection , and fear of intimacy. When around those in authority or even in a group of people, I no longer feel like I am on the outside looking in and wondering what I have to do to get in on the inside. Perfect love is displacing so much of my insecurity and fear of being hurt again.
Third, with fear displaced, our relationships are becoming much more open, real, and meaningful, and are becoming the community of love that Christ intended for us to be. We are walking out true discipleship and community. Sisters and brothers who are there for me no matter what, and I seek to be there for them. We have seen the yoke of independence broken and have embraced interdependent friendships.
Fourth, I’m seeking out a heart that’s positioned to seeing my parents know the revelation of Jesus by freeing them from the sins they committed against me and the dishonor I committed again them. Forgiveness and restitution prevents the accuser of the brethren from binding you with a guilt or victim mentality.
Fifth and final, when we begin to focus our lives upon being a son or daughter to those in authority in our lives, many of our team members will begin to do this likewise with us. All these things occur without self-assertion an aggressive striving to try and make them happen. I’m settling in Gods rest, focusing my life on being a daughter and his love is producing a new heart of love because I’m discovering what it’s like to be loved by God. Intimacy proceeds fruitfulness. Sonship (being a daughter) in God proceeds inheritance and fulfillment.
What does resting in the Lord look like? This is a frequent question that I struggle with; the inability to rest and enjoy life and even God for that matter. Something has always seemed to grip me and pull me into restlessness. Some words to describe how It makes me feel inside is tension, striving, or stressed. Lets try to give definition to this restlessness- the feeling that there is some thing more that I have to do or put in order to feel valued, affirmed, accepted, and loved.
First off our competitive culture tends to define rest as a place of idleness or being unproductive. But the biblical rest found in sonship is not a place without activity or fruitfulness. Rest is a posture of the heart of sonship that feels so sheltered in the Fathers love that it does not allow itself to be pulled into a place where we strive to feel values, affirmed, or secure. Abiding in rest is a place where all people will be drawn to us because everyone is searching for rest.
Second, feeling more secure and at rest in the Fathers love displaced much of my fear-fear of authority, fear of trusting , fear of rejection , and fear of intimacy. When around those in authority or even in a group of people, I no longer feel like I am on the outside looking in and wondering what I have to do to get in on the inside. Perfect love is displacing so much of my insecurity and fear of being hurt again.
Third, with fear displaced, our relationships are becoming much more open, real, and meaningful, and are becoming the community of love that Christ intended for us to be. We are walking out true discipleship and community. Sisters and brothers who are there for me no matter what, and I seek to be there for them. We have seen the yoke of independence broken and have embraced interdependent friendships.
Fourth, I’m seeking out a heart that’s positioned to seeing my parents know the revelation of Jesus by freeing them from the sins they committed against me and the dishonor I committed again them. Forgiveness and restitution prevents the accuser of the brethren from binding you with a guilt or victim mentality.
Fifth and final, when we begin to focus our lives upon being a son or daughter to those in authority in our lives, many of our team members will begin to do this likewise with us. All these things occur without self-assertion an aggressive striving to try and make them happen. I’m settling in Gods rest, focusing my life on being a daughter and his love is producing a new heart of love because I’m discovering what it’s like to be loved by God. Intimacy proceeds fruitfulness. Sonship (being a daughter) in God proceeds inheritance and fulfillment.
