When you have so much to do, slowing things down and taking time to meditate, getting your mind off the work at hand and onto Jesus could be the last thing you feel like doing. Even if you try, you may find that “resting in Jesus” is often easier said than done. Yet He tells us, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. … Learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” 1
So how exactly do you “rest in Jesus”? It means trusting that once you have asked Him to provide solutions to your problems or to help you with the work at hand, He will do just that. It means trusting that He will show you what you can do to help the situation, that He will empower you to do your part, and that He will do what you can’t. It means stepping back from your problems or work, shutting out the world around you, and letting your spirit be strengthened through communion with Him.
In short, resting in Jesus means turning matters over to Him and then trusting Him for the outcome. If we want to get the best results, our time with Jesus in prayer and communication with Him can’t just be quick and superficial, squeezed in while our mind is still full of the business of the day. We have to take time to connect with Him, share our heart with Him, and let Him clear our mind and soothe our spirit.
Your time with Jesus is really the most important part of the day. If you get in the habit of giving it priority, His presence will linger with you all day to guide and help you.
The Bible says, “Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter into that rest.” 2 That sounds a little contrary—making an effort to rest—but it takes effort to pull back. The concept of resting in Jesus isn’t complicated, but actually doing it—leaving your old way of operating behind—takes work, and it can be difficult at first. But once you get the hang of it, it will save you so much time and effort and stress and strain that you’ll wonder how you ever did without it.