As Americans living in 2024, we are busy, and we even seem to pride ourselves on our busyness.
Don’t believe me? The next time you run into someone at Walmart and ask the obligatory question, “What have you been up to?” see how many respond with, “Staying busy.” Busyness is so entrenched in the cultural psyche that it is often the go-to response to any question about our day-to-day lives as if all we are meant to do in this life is “stay busy.”
With work, family events, community events, meals to cook, kids to raise, things to see, and places to be, we often find ourselves going nonstop. While our schedules are filled with important things, we are so used to a busy life that we forget something that is just as vital to our existence and well-being: rest. Rest is an essential component of a life well lived, the fuel we often need to propel ourselves into the next window of our fun-filled, action-packed routines.
And we are terrible at it.
Vacation? Time off from work? Even in these times of supposed rest, how often is the cliché proven true:
“I need a vacation from my vacation.”? Don’t get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with vacations. I love a seven-day cruise as much as anyone. But what good is a cruise if I’m too distracted by a phone or tablet to enjoy any of it? Purposefully taking in the experience and setting aside the normal, draining distractions of my normal, day-to-day life is necessary.
As a pastor at a local church, I know the concept of rest is an essential component of living life as God intended. There is a reason God made everything in six days and rested on the seventh. There is also a reason He mandated the same for the Israelites, His chosen people. “For six days work is to be done, but on the seventh day you are to have a holy day, a Sabbath of complete rest to the Lord.” (Exodus 35:2)
This was literal for the Israelites and even implemented as a legal statute in the book of Leviticus. While rest is not mandated today, religiously or within society, there is a reason it is such an essential component of the Bible, a reason God had to make sure His people purposefully took time to do nothing.
We are not meant to give one hundred percent, twenty-four/seven, seven days a week, every week of every year until we die. No, if we are to excel in our myriad of wonderful, meaningful endeavors, we must find space to truly unplug from the regular, societal grind and rest.
For six days work is to be done, but on the seventh day you are to have a holy day, a Sabbath of complete rest to the Lord.
Sounds nice, doesn’t it? But alas, like so many essential, life-giving things we have to pursue with purpose, it is far easier said than done. Even as a pastor, preaching this concept of rest both from the pulpit and in many small group settings, I am often not very good at truly resting.
The idea of rest is nice, but what does it actually look like? It depends on a combination of two things:
1) From what are you resting?
2) What brings you rest personally?
For someone who sits in front of a screen at work, going home and hopping on more screens may not be the most optimal form of rest. Conversely, if your work is active with people or manual labor, some mindless screen time might be just what the doctor ordered. Don’t be afraid to go against the grain; think outside the box.
Back in 2010, Ronnie Williams, founding Senior Pastor of Harvest Fellowship, did just that when he came up with #HFScattered. Every year, the church takes Labor Day weekend off and encourages congregants to go out and “Be the Church.” This has become a staple in the church and has many benefits. It gives the staff a Sunday off and frees up volunteers to take advantage of a three-day weekend. Most importantly, everyone is encouraged to do something rejuvenating, an activity they may not otherwise have done on a normal weekend, a true rest.
The overarching point is that rest comes in many different forms, and we should be actively pursuing it. It can be as complex as a three-week getaway or as simple as a nice, warm bath and a short nap. To create space for growth and development in our lives, we have to be intentional with our time and energy.
Easy? No. But in the famous words penned so eloquently by Coldplay: “Nobody said it was easy.”
Article written by Zeke Montoya and originally published in Focus on Artesia 2024 Spring edition.
Zeke Montoya
I am a husband to an amazing wife, JD, and the father of three wonderful children — Sawyer, Davis, and Giannis. I am an Associate Pastor at Harvest Fellowship in Artesia, and I am passionate about serving the people of Eddy County, which I’ve called home since I was 11. I enjoy reading, writing, and singing in my free time.
