A Soul at Rest

Anybody remember Newton’s first law from science class? “An object at rest remains at rest, and an object in motion remains in motion at constant speed and in a straight line unless acted on by an unbalanced force.” In simpler terms, it’s called inertia. It means something at rest will stay there. And something in motion will just keep on being in constant motion unless something changes.

I’m here to tell you: our souls follow something along the lines of inertia too! And if you’re feeling the heavy burden of living in a state of constant motion—busyness, information overload, social pressure, political pressure, and perfectionistic pressure—something’s got to change. And it can!

There’s another, subtle kind of constant motion our souls suffer from too. It comes from endless hours of games, entertainment, news, and social media that don’t actually bring your soul to rest. It’s false rest. It’s actually a state of constant motion that takes you nowhere, like a hamster wheel of the soul. If you’re stuck spinning that wheel…something’s got to change. And it can!

I’m going to let you in on the secret to high-quality rest that will change your life: the kind of rest Bible footnotes describe as “a state of unthreatened well-being.” The plan to get there is so simple anyone can do it, but few will. I dare you to join the few: the rested.

A simple plan that will change your life:

1. Read your Bible
2. Spend time quietly (distraction-free) before the Lord

It’s based on two biblical principles desperately needed in a world of constant motion:

1. God’s Word is essential for you
   1. Jesus called the Word life (Mt. 4:4), truth (Jn. 17:17), and freedom (Jn. 8:32)
   2. It refreshes the soul and gives joy to your heart (Ps. 19:7-8)
   3. It’s a lamp and light to guide you (Ps. 119:105)
   4. It leads to blessing and prosperity (Ps. 1:1-3)

2. God wants to give you rest and refreshing
   1. He gives rest and a light yoke to the weary (Mt. 11:28-30)
   2. His goodness (Ps. 116:7) and salvation (Ps. 62:1) are your rest
   3. He makes you lie down in green pastures (Ps. 23:2)
   4. He leads you to still waters and restores your soul (Ps. 23:2-3)

So if you find yourself in need of peace…if you’re feeling stuck or weary…if little things set you off…I want you to know that your soul will sustain a restful inertia if you make a practice of implementing this verse: