“There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest...”
Hebrews 4:9-11
Rest.
A strange word during these tumultuous times, when the weekdays feel identical to the weekends, and when a Sunday morning often feels incredibly similar to a Wednesday one.
In the absence of social gatherings and events, many of us may feel like we’ve had an over-abundance of rest in this season; cooped up in our homes with nowhere to go and nothing to do but obsessively clean our kitchen counters and actually remember to water our house plants. Yet for others, the idea of rest might feel foreign and far-off, especially to those considered essential, working on the front lines of the pandemic, currently feeling overwhelmed and overworked. Many of us are trying to creatively find ways to make ends meet in these uncertain times. This season continuously presents new types of stress, and all too often our minds are racing as we consider all of the unknowns, the what-ifs and the uncertainties of this season.
Before the pandemic became commonplace in our lives, many of us found rest in the company of our friends, in conversations shared over restaurant tables, and in the chapels and sanctuaries that have now stood silent for weeks. While these specific outlets of peace and comfort are unavailable to us at the moment, we at EPAGA Home Care hold fast to the belief that we serve the God who created rest in the first place; the God from whom all peace and comfort flows from. Undoubtedly, every single one of us requires rest, both physically and spiritually, including the introverted and the extroverted, the young and the not-so-young. While we press on towards the eternal rest that has been promised to us, the author of Hebrews writes that there is rest for us in the here and now, rest that God has promised to us. This is described as Sabbath, a time consecrated and set apart for rest, something God Himself participated in, and saw it fit for humanity to do as well. Sabbath isn’t just something that we have the opportunity to practice weekly, but daily, by resting and abiding in the presence of God.
The beauty of the reality of the Gospel is this: Jesus already paid the price on the cross for us, for our salvation, our redemption, and for our rest. In light of this, we work from the work He has already accomplished for us, from the victory that has already been won. As we press forward and work to overcome this difficult season, it’s incredibly important that we prioritize rest, for ourselves and for those around us. This solace and peace is available to us even as we work tirelessly to care for our family members and loved ones, as the mounting anxieties increase in our hearts and minds, and as the news on the television becomes a dull roar.
Undoubtedly, these days are hard-fought and require great courage, but when we rise in the morning to face another day, there are new mercies that await us. We may remain bound to our homes for now, but we can also choose to be bound to the heart of the Father. In these tumultuous times, may we, as the people of God, make every effort to enter into the rest that God provides for us, to allow our restless hearts and minds to find solace in His presence. May we remove our masks, both literally and figuratively in His presence, and rejoice in His company. The chapels of our churches may stand empty at the moment, but there is still sanctuary to be found. There is deep gratitude to be discovered in the unity of our families, and joy to be uncovered in the spaces and places in which we reside, as well as with the people we share them with.
At EPAGA Home Care, we rejoice in the reality that He is ready and able to receive us. We know the very nature of God to be redemptive, restorative and replenishing to our weary souls. This week, may we lay our greatest cares and anxieties at His feet, as He calls us into His refuge.
As beloved author Bob Goff says so poignantly:
