Written by: Jenni Whitefield

If someone were to ask you to describe our society today in a couple of words, what would they be? Most likely, the words busy, anxious, and overstimulated would be at the top of the list. There are many reasons we could name as to why we suffer from a lack of peace and rest, but only one way to truly find it.

Ephesians 2:14 — "For He Himself is our peace…"
Matthew 11:28–30 — "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."
So how do we get there? It can be just as hard in the physical life as in the spiritual one. My son is a college decathlete, which means he has ten events to learn, train for, and perfect. It can be very tempting to keep pushing when training is going well and not take time to rest. He has learned, sometimes the hard way, that rest is critical to growth, performing at your best, and reducing injury.

Similarly, in our spiritual walk, we may be moving right along at a fast pace—serving here and there, participating in small groups, attending church, and doing all the "right" things—feeling good about ourselves, yet never truly resting in God. Then, when trials come, we discover that we are not rooted in the rest God offers, but anxious, unsettled, and without peace about the future—or even the next minute! This is not the way Jesus intended for His followers to live.

The first time we see the word rest in Scripture is in Genesis 2:2–3, and it's the only time it appears in the entire book. The Hebrew word used here is shabbat, which has a much deeper meaning than simply ceasing from activity. It literally means reaching a state of completion or satisfaction. It is the root from which we get the word Sabbath. Verse 3 goes on to say that God "blessed the seventh day and made it holy" because of that rest. This is the only time in Genesis we see the word holy used—making it very significant! (It is used 56 times in Exodus and over 90 times in Leviticus.

Where God is able to enter and rest, He makes holy.

This is the answer to how we find deep soul rest—that peace that passes understanding—by resting, allowing God to enter and reign, and beginning to make us holy. That is what we were made for.
There are three critical steps we need to take to become rooted in Christ and receive the rest He promises us, according to His own words in Matthew 11. We love to quote God's promises, but most are conditional.

First, Jesus says, "Come to Me." You must settle your mind on whom you serve—the world or Jesus. Jesus requires full devotion and total belief. He wants our entire heart or nothing. In Psalm 95:10, speaking of the Israelites, it says they "went astray in their heart… therefore they shall not enter My rest." If God Himself is our peace (Ephesians 2:14), then how could we ever receive rest when our heart goes astray, divided between the things of this world (or people) and God Himself? God will not share His throne. He cannot give peace apart from Himself.
James 1:8 says that "a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways." Many suffer because they claim to love God and say they put Him first, but a closer look at how they spend their daily lives tells a different story. The soul that abides with Christ daily—surrendering its plans and will, and giving God full possession of the heart—will be rooted in rest "like a tree planted by streams of water that yields fruit in season and does not wither" (Psalm 1:3).

Second, Jesus says, "Take My yoke upon you." Many fail to enter the rest Jesus offers because they are afraid He's going to demand too much of them. We are accustomed to a lower level of living and often comfortable there. Jesus asks us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him—more times in Scripture (six times) than any other command. Too often, Christians see this as optional. What Christ literally means is to take off all of the world—all of the things that have formed our identity—and give them to Him so that He may become all in us.

It's important to note Hebrews 12:1: "Therefore… let us lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." Christians are good at talking about sin and laying it aside, but how often do we talk about the weight of the things of the world that cling so closely to us? The first part of that verse is often overlooked, but Jesus commands us to take off that yoke and put His on.
A yoke was designed so it was impossible to wear two at once. The old must come off first. But it was also impossible to carry a yoke alone—it was built for two oxen to share the burden. Jesus carries it with us, and He will take all the weight if we will just surrender and submit to Him. His burden truly is light when He dwells within us, carries the weight, and gives us that deep calm of heaven within our souls.

Third, Jesus says in Matthew 11, "Learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart." This is the only time in Scripture that Jesus describes His own heart. Meek means power and strength under control. Jesus was God—He held incomprehensible power at the touch of His hand—but He also rested in God's will and plan, maintaining a completely humble posture submitted to the Father. To be "lowly in heart" means that, like Jesus, we only strive to please the Father and not force our own will. Galatians 1:10 says, "If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of God."

The foundation of soul rest lies in giving up control of all things, claiming the promise that Christ will take the weight on our behalf, and then waiting on God. Being at rest and anxious for nothing can only happen as we build that relationship with God that brings about complete trust. We can be meek when tested because we know God well and know He will be our defender. The soul that allows God possession will know that He is in control of all things, and even when trials and disappointments come, will still live in the great calm of heaven while walking among men on earth.

These seasons of life build us into the children of God we are meant to be! Romans 5:3–6 tells us this is the time God actually "pours His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit." Similarly, in the physical world, muscles do not grow and become strong without great tension and stress. Allow God to grow you—especially during suffering and trials—and rest knowing He is always working on your behalf to grow your roots deeper and deeper in Him.
This rest God gives is not just a passive "be still and know" type of rest. We need that daily, but just like when my son rests from training, he is always mindful of how important things like adequate hydration and good nutrition are for muscle repair and growth. What he puts into his body builds him up as he rests. We, as Christians, must be mindful of everything we allow into our minds daily if we are to be rooted in Christ's love and experience growth. We must actively choose to dwell in the Word and with Jesus. Colossians 2:6–8 says to "walk in Christ, rooted and built up in Him, established in faith," because the world, every minute, is trying to "take you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition and the elemental spirits of the world."

Finally, Hebrews 3 and 4 give us several warnings about what can keep us from entering God's rest. Three times in those verses (3:7–8, 3:15, 4:7) the writer quotes Psalm 95:8:
"Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts."

It is a frightening thought that if we keep hearing about God—continually exposed to truth—but never in humility surrender all to Him, our hearts can become hardened. These verses speak of the Israelites who had witnessed some of the most amazing miracles recorded in Scripture, yet fell back into missing worldly things like the meat in Egypt! They did not love God above all or surrender all. Because of their rebellion, they did not enter God's rest.
Hebrews 3:10 quotes Psalm 95:10: "They went astray in their hearts and have not known My ways." Our heart and mind are a battleground, and if we aren't actively engaged in that spiritual battle, the world is winning. Our flesh naturally loves the things of the world, and living the victorious Christian life will always be like a salmon swimming upstream. We must have a new heart, totally given to Christ, so that we will "know His ways."

Three times the writer says they failed to enter God's rest "because of disobedience" (3:18, 4:6, 4:11). God asks for full possession of our heart so that we can be full of His Spirit and know His will for us—day by day, minute by minute. This is what it means to "know His ways." Have you given your entire heart to God? Are you abiding in Him daily and being led by the Spirit to do things for the Kingdom that were never in "your plan"? The indwelling of God's Spirit will always lead us to a deeper awareness of our need for Him (John 16:8–9), a familiarity with His voice (John 10:4, 16, 27), and a heavy burden for the souls of those around us (1 Corinthians 9:19, 22; 10:33). Our new heart will lead us on mission for Him daily, and we will find ourselves at complete soul rest in union with God and His Kingdom purposes.

In Hebrews 3:12, Paul blames their "evil, unbelieving heart that led [them] to fall away from the living God." Unbelief is pointed out again in 3:19 as the reason they never entered God's rest. Let us never think that because we are church-going, "good" people we are immune to unbelief. A closer look at verse 12 tells us that if they "fell away" from God, then they had once believed. Romans 4:20–22, speaking of Abraham, says, "No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what He promised."

A true, living belief in who God is will be applied to everyday life and will not waver when God asks you to move on His behalf. True belief in God is never silent, never passive, and never fruitless. James 2:19 says, "Even the demons believe—and shudder!" In Mark 1:24, a demon is the first to acknowledge Jesus' authority, declaring, "What have You to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!" Similarly, in Mark 5:7, another demon declares Jesus as "Son of the Most High God." Clearly, acknowledging God's authority and proclaiming who He is does not signify full belief and saving faith. Even Satan believed who God was—but he refused to submit to God's authority and wanted glory for himself. God will not share His throne. If God is the King of your salvation, He must also be the King of your life.

Finally, Hebrews 4:11 says, "Let us therefore strive to enter that rest." Paul certainly knew a thing or two about striving to enter God's rest! He suffered more than anyone else we read about in Scripture, yet he wrote more about peace and contentment than anyone else. The deep soul rest God offers is not bound by circumstances. We can experience it even greater in times of suffering once surrendered.

In Ephesians 3:16–19, Paul gets on his knees and prays for the Ephesians: "That you may be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith… being rooted and grounded in love… that you may have the strength to comprehend and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

This is one of the most important passages in all of Scripture. It reminds us that it is not natural for us to truly know the love of God in a deeply personal and life-changing way. Paul prays for "strength" twice! Has anyone ever told you that it takes supernatural strength from the Spirit of God to really know God's love? It is far beyond any intellectual knowledge of God. We must strive daily and be strengthened by the Spirit to rise above the world and walk in the Kingdom with God now.

Too many Christians are content with an intellectual, surface-level knowledge of God. Paul knew this well—he once trusted in all his religious credentials too! But Paul didn't recognize God standing right in front of him when he trusted in himself. That's why in 1 Corinthians 2:14 he says, "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God." Paul knew that when he lived in his own power—trusting in his goodness and religious résumé—he was blind to who Jesus really was.

So what is it you are striving for? Athletes strive for personal bests or winning records, college grads strive for the perfect job, and many strive to move up the career ladder and gain the respect of men. These are natural things to strive for—but we are called to live supernatural lives, filled so full of Jesus that His love overflows from us onto the world. It's here that we find rest.

Our soul finally rests because we live in the purpose for which we were created. It is possible to dwell in the calm of the Kingdom of Heaven now—at peace with God while walking among men. Do you find yourself daily striving to live in God's presence? Do you strive to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit above the noise of the world? Are you striving for the souls of those you love who don't know Jesus?

It is in that striving that true rest is found. Let us strive, with all the saints, to be rooted and grounded in the love of God so that we may find true rest for our souls.