Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes
Matthew 7:33-34 MSG

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me- watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me, and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.
Matthew 11: 28-30 MSG

Hello, my dear friend,

How are you? I hope this note finds you well.

We continue with our Reflect and Recall note, and this week our focus is on “Rest.”

I know we have heard a lot about rest, but the perspective we are looking at it from is that of retreat—taking a step back to recalibrate, recharge, and be rejuvenated, where you are ministered to by the Holy Spirit. Depending on the season you are in, there may be moments of such intensity in your daily activities that you feel overwhelmed, and sometimes you keep pushing on. Or maybe you feel weighed down by the expectations of the world—society, people, friends and you just cannot seem to catch a break.

Well, God is saying, come. Get away with Him so you can recover your life, so He can teach you how to navigate this Christian walk and even your life with Him, so you are not burdened or overwhelmed. Keep company with Him, and you will learn how to truly live and not just exist.

Your quiet time is a form of retreat, where it is just you and Him, in stillness, with the Word.  Let Him refresh your spirit, wipe those tears, and lead you to the right outlets or counsellors He has prepared to help you navigate the season. Sometimes, the retreat might be longer—a day or even a weekend away just to breathe—not occupied with social media or conversations, but simply coming to Him for renewal. He leads you beside still waters; He restores your soul.

I know you might be thinking, considering your peculiar situation, “I have caring needs, responsibilities, I must work to pay my bills—I don’t have the luxury of taking a week away.”  Well, take an hour. Take 30 minutes. Take even 10 minutes and ask Him how to navigate your unique situation so as to create time for communion with Him. It is possible (He gives the best counsel!). I think society and culture have conditioned us to label things as impossible, and we don’t even bother to ask God—who Scripture reminds us that with Him, nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37, Genesis 18:14)

Beyond retreat, another dimension of rest is surrender and trust.  Sometimes, the reason we struggle to truly rest is that we feel the need to always be in control—always planning, always at the helm of affairs.  But God is saying, ” Trust Me daily”. Do not get lost in thinking about five years from now. Focus on the present. Pay attention to what I am doing now—it will serve as both a foundation and a glimpse of My faithfulness.

I have found that sometimes we say we are Christians, but we are not fully surrendered to God. We trust Him partially and often keep a plan B. It is as though we are saying, “God, this part is for You, but this other part is mine.” Meanwhile, God is saying, steep yourself into My reality. Let Me help you. Let Me guide you (Matthew 7:33-34 MSG)

For some of us, it is not even about control—it is about hesitation. We don’t trust Him enough to ask for big things because we feel we are not among the “selected few” who receive answers. Sometimes, it might be you ran with something and it did not pan out as you expected it.  So we pray without expectation, guarding our hearts so our hopes are not dashed. In doing so, we build walls (protection) and safety/coping mechanisms within ourselves.  But that is not the life we have been called into. We have been called into a life of surrender, a life of love, a life of trust and a life of radical openness (connection) to God

We see time and time again how the children of Israel in the wilderness, so used to a system of oppression, struggled to comprehend the government of God. They struggled to trust. Even when God showed them repeatedly that He had them, they remained unsure. They were God’s people, but they were not fully operating in His way.

Are you like the Israelites in the wilderness—a Christian, but not fully surrendered or trusting?   Imagine loving someone wholeheartedly, yet they only give you bits and pieces of their love—how would that feel? Sometimes, it can feel like we are doing that with God. He gives us all of Himself, yet we respond cautiously “take this for now, and if it goes well, I’ll give more.”  It becomes transactional.  There is no fellowship, just requests. Prayer becomes an asking spree, and we judge God’s faithfulness based on how quickly answers come. But that is not love. Love involves genuine interest, intentionality, making time, enjoying presence, and discovering the one you love.

How do you know God?  Spend time in His Word. Learn of Him. Cultivate His presence. Give room for the Holy Spirit within you. Seek Him. Find contentment in Him. Rest in Him.

I love this chorus by Dunsin Oyekan from the song To Know You.

Just one passion
One purpose
To know You more and more, when I know You, I find me.
No life outside You
No one beside You
Let me know You more and more, when I know You, I find me.

I pray this becomes your desire all the days of your life—and mine.

Have a beautiful week. Abide in Him, and He will abide in you (John 15:1–11).