LEAD August 2024 | Page 24

to rest . I ’ m willing to bet that one of a few things could possibly be true :
• You resist rest because you assume it ’ s not enjoyable .
• You resist rest because you perceive it as being lazy or passive .
• You resist rest because you ’ ve grown more accustomed to striving for your worth than receiving it from God .
You ’ re not going to hate heaven .
If by grace through faith you have a relationship with Jesus , you ’ re going to love heaven . We all are . We ’ re not going to be disappointed or bored , and I don ’ t believe we ’ ll long to have a second of the fallen world back .
So , what if we learn to practice now for heaven ? What if we have our minds changed , shift our patterns , and then start to feel like we love not being so tired all the time ?
Lie # 3 : “ No one else around me will rest .”
Maybe you ’ ve read the books and tried to shift , but your partner or friends or boss hasn ’ t exactly championed your desire for change . Maybe you ’ ve settled for a life of constantly being tired because you know that the community around you will never change its pace .
Perhaps the fear is that if you rest , you ’ ll be seen as lazy . Or maybe you have grown to love being the dependable , busy , and exhausted one — you wear it as a badge of honor , and you ’ re not sure who you are without it .
Wherever you find yourself , the truth remains : Most of our cultures promote and encourage a pace that leaves us near the end of our rope . Rarely will we find communities that are set up to embrace a collective kingdom-guided pace of life , and many of us will need to prepare for being misunderstood when we finally receive the gift of rest in our lives .
Lie # 4 : “ It ’ s going to cost too much .”
If you ’ re tired of being tired , embracing kingdom rest will not be a risk-averse path . I believe it will require something from us more times than not .
Here ’ s where I will level with you : Choosing rest will cost you . But here is the excellent news : The cost is really just a trade , making space for us to receive a far greater gift than anything we might be giving up .
Maybe you won ’ t live the distracted , breakneck speed that you ’ re used to , but instead you ’ ll learn what it means when Jesus says He wants to show you an easy yoke and a light burden .
Lie # 5 : “ My circumstances won ’ t allow for it .”
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