To Be Free...To Rest

Infusions of Faith

“They heard the message, but it did them no good, because when they heard it, they did not accept it with faith. We who believe, then, do receive that rest which God promised.” Heb. 4:2-3a (GNT)

“Therefore, stop worrying about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matt. 6:34 (CEB)                                                                                                            

To Be Free...To Rest

Last week Michael shared some of his journey facing insecurity and overcoming it with God. His authenticity and transparency sparked a deeper dive into seeking what I may need to boldly face, relinquish and submit to God. As I sat in front of my computer, I prayed to God and pondered about what I needed to release as I wrote this blog. When the topic of worry crystallized in my mind, I aligned with the fact that I needed to face it. However, I resisted the idea of writing about it as a blog post. I didn’t want to weigh in on what has become such a trendy topic to discuss.

But I needed to write about it. Solidifying my commitment, worry and how I could relinquish it. A familiar scripture came to mind and I meditated on it, learning that worry is tied to my belief system. And belief can connect to peace and rest, despite circumstances. Peace and a reliance on God result in rest. But rest is a contradiction to worry, and worry is an enemy of rest and my faith.

As the past months have trickled by during this pandemic, shelter-at-home mandates and the reopening of our cities, there has been a continual intensification of societal pressure. Worry has been knocking loudly at the doors of many hearts and minds. The proverbial shoe has dropped amid social unrest, police brutality, military occupation in our cities, unemployment, mounting bills, confusing medical information, racial discrimination, political pandering, remote work expectations, homeschooling and dwindling small businesses in our neighborhoods. Add that to world hunger, human trafficking, moral degradation and drug abuse etc.; there is plenty to worry about in this world. But what does worrying do?

Worry comes in many forms – from simple/complex concerns, to hyper-vigilance, generalized anxiety, over-analyzation, fear of the unknown, fatalism, and more. In one form or another, worry likes sticking around just to keep us company. In response to these issues, I’ve been rebuking the enemy, submitting to God and resisting the devil, praying, saying affirmations and speaking the word of God over me and my life circumstances.Yet, I’ve found that all these life-giving and God-honoring strategies are null without a key ingredient – true belief.

I realized that I might be carrying more unbelief than belief in my heart sometimes. The antithesis of belief says that I really want to believe God is for me and that He has me in His hands, but I’m afraid He might not come through for me this time. So godly faith isn’t really working for me, because my faith and belief is in what I fear could happen. Heb. 11:6 says I must believe that God is who He says He is, and that He’ll take care of me when I diligently believe and follow Him, even in the middle of suffering. 

Honestly, we can deceive ourselves about our faith. But I find it comforting that we really cannot trick our own hearts nor the Holy Spirit by trying to “fake it till we make it” with God. The sin of unbelief rears its ugly head, unearthing the conflict of belief within. Unbelief must be uprooted, surrendered and exchanged in favor of faith. Jesus asks the disciples in Luke 8:25, “Where is your faith?” And a popular Christian refrain asks, “Whose report do you believe?” 

If I’m fearing and mistrusting the loving character of God in my heart, I am not truly believing in His nature as being good and unconditionally loving towards me. I am not resting in an authentic relationship with Him under false pretenses about his goodness. Even if I am sincere in my desire to want a personal relationship with God, I cannot have it while holding on to worry and unbelief.

So, what does it mean to believe in the character and love of God, especially during times when I’m struggling with worry? What does it mean to believe and trust God, even if ______? Belief means to accept God when He says, “I am…” (Exo. 3:14) This phrase translated means, “I will be what you need me to be, when you need me to be it.” It means I can go to God, expressing my fear, ignorance or confusion about who He is, and I can process any past run-ins between His sovereignty and my disappointment when God has done things I don’t understand.

Like the boy’s father in the gospel of Mark, I can say, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief (disbelief).” To get to the believing/trusting/resting part of my relationship with God, I need to confess to God that I’m afraid because I don’t always have a good understanding of His character, intent or ability to love and provide for my heart and soul in every situation. And I can humble myself to surrender my self-righteousness in exchange for His sanctification process. I can allow God to change my nature as I learn His nature. I can learn to lean on God and believe Him more, worry less and grow to rest in Him throughout any circumstance.

Key Themes:

·It is hard not to worry when I am afraid, but I can decide to do hard things with God’s grace.
·I can pray for understanding and lay down my self-willed heart before Him.
·I can remember past experiences where God’s presence kept me in a challenging season.
·I can rest when I place my faith and belief in His capable and loving hands.
·I can patiently watch my relationship with God develop through ups and downs.

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