Rest in God’s Care

“It’s like I’ve been chasing a rabbit in ministry,” one pastor shared after attending a Soul Shepherding Institute retreat.

He had been ministering on adrenaline for twenty-nine years and found himself exhausted.

“The rabbit is my need to come through,” he continued. “This completely burned me out, of course. I came to this retreat over-burdened, broken, discouraged, and lacking joy and hope for future work in God’s kingdom.”

Maybe you relate. The demands of ministry and the needs of the people you lead can make it feel like “chasing a rabbit” is the only way to serve Jesus. 

It’s easy to rely on adrenaline to keep up. This often happens without even realizing it.

Adrenaline isn’t all bad, of course. It’s a tool that energizes us to handle real-life emergencies and tackle extremely important challenges. But living in a never-ending state of urgency isn’t healthy.

There are signs that warn us about the frazzled state of our souls. You might be an adrenaline addict if…

You hurry from one “important” event to another.

You do two or three things at once to save time.

You find yourself mulling over your task list during conversations.

You work hard into the evening hours.

You use caffeine to jump-start yourself and stay alert.

I’m an adrenaline addict in recovery. My name, “William,” actually means “determined.” Sometimes it feels like I’ve been programmed to be productive, hurried, and intense.

Thankfully I’ve gotten help. Of course, I still pay attention to warning signs. But I’ve discovered how to replace the rush of adrenaline dependence with reliance on Jesus.

Jesus models for us the importance of resting in God. He invites us into his “way” of life that’s marked by a restful posture (Matthew 11:28-30).

Rest was more frequently part of people’s lifestyle in the first century than today — especially for Jesus and his disciples.

Because there was no electricity, their work and activity were more aligned with the sunlight. This left more space for relaxing in the evenings and sleeping at night. They walked at a slow pace instead of speeding down freeways. Information was limited to word of mouth.

But Jesus also intentionally practiced rest. He observed the Sabbath, meditated on Scripture, spent time in solitude with God, and retreated with his disciples after doing ministry to be refreshed by silence (Luke 4:16, Psalm 1:2, Luke 5:16, Mark 6:30-31).

Like Jesus, you can practice restful rhythms to cultivate a restful attitude deep in your heart. The goal is to live with your soul at rest in God in all you do. Then you will be at rest even when you are working because you are present to Jesus with you and know he’s helping you (Matthew 11:29).

Learning to still your soul and open yourself to God is far more fruitful than depending on adrenaline. You will become aware of his beauty in nature, experience his comfort from friends, and sense his heart when caring for those in need.

I pray you would be empowered by Abba’s grace as you “make every effort” to enter his rest.

Are you longing to rest more deeply in God? The Soul Shepherding Institute helps pastors and missionaries overcome hurts and struggles and develop healthy rhythms. Our Sabbatical Guide has everything you need (including live coaching) to experience rest and renewal through extended time away. You can learn more by visiting our website today.

DISCLAIMER

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Reliant or any other entity with which he is affiliated.

This article is submitted by Soul Shepherding. Soul Shepherding is a Missio Nexus member.  Member organizations can provide content to the Missio Nexus website. See how by clicking here.