An Abiding Place of Rest
Guest post by Robbin. Mom to 4 beautiful daughters inside and out and a definite wealth of wisdom and grace. As she prepares her last daughter to graduate, her heart desires to share and encourage other moms still in the trenches.
What an honor to have her with us. Enjoy!
As mothers and wives, we tend to wear many different hats and find ourselves
in many different roles, which by nature, are natural tendencies for women.
However, regardless of how natural these tendencies may appear, there is one
ingredient that is often missing in our day-to-day lives as mothers and wives, and
that ingredient, which is so needed, is knowing how to abide in God’s rest.
In order for us to carry out our ultimate purpose as mothers and wives, I believe we
must function from a position of rest. The word rest can be defined as relief or
freedom, especially from anything that wearies, troubles, or disturbs; tranquility
in one’s mind and heart.
Therefore, I believe every action we take and every decision we make
should come from a place of rest.
What is this abiding rest?
With this in mind, I would like to ask you a question:
Do you operate out of a place of peace and rest or do you operate out of a place of fear, worry, and
anxiety?
If the latter is the place from which you tend to function, I have good
news for you.
There is an abiding rest in God prepared just for you.
Let us take a look at some of the following promises that God gives us as mothers and wives:
• God has promised us His peace: “Let not your heart be trouble, neither
let it be afraid. My peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you.” (John
14:27)
• God also tells us to come unto Him and He will give us rest. He reminds
us to take His yoke and learn of Him; for He is gentle and lowly of heart—
always ready to reveal and receive us unto Himself. (Matthew 11:28-30)
• In addition, He reminds us that only in returning and resting in Him will we
be saved. Returning from what? Returning from worry, anxiety, stress,
fear, and unbelief and returning to God; for God waits to be gracious to us.
He even promises us that when we step out of His rest, we will hear a word
behind us saying, “This is the way [My rest], walk in it.” (Isaiah 30:15, 18,
21)
How do we attain this rest?
First, we must come to Him, casting all our cares upon Him, and in coming, we will
find rest for our souls.
Second, we must desire to know Him intimately—to be deeply acquainted with Him and all His ways.
Third, we must surrender our will to His will– yielding completely to His influence in our lives.
More importantly, God desires for us to build a sanctuary in our hearts for Him to dwell. Therefore,
as we apply these three aspects—coming to Him, desiring to know Him, and
surrendering everything to Him, we will find the secret to perfect rest, which is
completely abiding in Jesus.
Therefore, as we continue to flow in our natural tendencies as wives and mothers,
let us be mindful of this one thing, rest only comes as we abide (stay, dwell, and
remain) in Him.
Are you operating from a place of rest ?
Leave a comment below.
Great words of wisdom. I receive Gods Rest. Robbin, I am still waiting for that book! Love Donna M 🙂
Robbin, I am blessed by this refocusing post. I often find that I struggle the most when my thoughts and concerns overwhelm me..almost drown me…and I temporarily forget the peace the Lord has already provided for me. After I have compared (myself to others), controlled (or tried to control circumstances and situations), and competed (for what I think I deserve), the Holy Spirit reminds me that I AM special to the Father and He is concerned with every detail of my life…PEACE. Thanks for posting!
I am going to share this with my husband too. He is teaching full time and taking an online French course this semester, plus having the responsibilities of a wife and 2 young sons. He is definitely feeling stressed! Your comments are not just for women, but for all people who stress about their responsibilities and need to find rest in God so they can peacefully and efficiently get through their day.
I totally agree that Robin is a special woman and we can learn a lot from her. I truly admire the grace, peace, love and kindness that is apparent in her life. I really appreciate this encouragement that you shared to abide in Him. This is so where I am seeking to dwell. Thank you for your sharing your heart.