What does it mean to rest in Christ?

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” - Matthew 11:28-30.

This passage truly has changed the way that I live my life. When I first got saved, I felt lighter than air. I knew that Jesus had saved my soul, and that was the best feeling in the world. However, my mind quickly jumped to, “well, now what?” And, if you are like me, once something happens that is so amazing you cannot possibly begin to describe it, you just have to do something about it, right? So, I “got to work.”

And that’s how I treated my Christian life: like a job. It was my duty, as a Christian, to do good things. There is truth to this. We are called to good works and to do all that we do for the glory of God (Eph. 2:10, 1 Cor. 10:31). However, after many years of working, toiling, and straining for good works in the name of Jesus, I realized something. “I cannot do this forever. I’m just not good enough. I cannot be perfect.”  I’m sure every Christian will realize at some point. When I realized that these works weren't enough, I became very discouraged. “How can I keep going like this? I’m exhausted. What can I do?” Then, a good friend of mine shared this passage with me and explained what it really meant to rest in Jesus. From then on, things changed.

“Come to me...”

Jesus is inviting us to Himself. He doesn’t passively say “you can come if you want,” but rather give us a warm, loving invitation to enjoy the Lord of the universe. He sees us where we are. He knows how much we have sinned. He knows us to the deepest level than anyone else in the world. If we knew what darkness lied in each other, I would dare to say, we may be relucent to invite someone into our lives. Not Jesus. He sees our sins, our pains, our burdens, and He chooses love. He invites us to Himself, no matter what we have said or done. This alone encourages me greatly. He loves me and invites me to His side. He does the same for you.

“...all who labor and are heavy laden...”

These two categories of people actually encompass everyone. The laborer works their hands to the bone to survive. They toil, suffer, and might even make others suffer just to stay afloat at times. The heavy ladened is someone who has been sinned against, and that sin has caused a lot of weight to fall on their shoulders. Haven’t we all been in each category? Haven’t we sinned against others? Haven’t we been sinned against? This invitation is for everyone.

“...and I will give you rest.”

Many different philosophies offer some kind of enlightenment. A better understanding of reality, or maybe even the secret to having something that eludes mankind. However, Jesus offers something interesting. He offers rest. This rest is different that what some might think it is. It’s not kicking your feet up on the couch after a long day and breathing  sigh of relief. While that is super nice and relaxing, that is not the rest Jesus is talking about. So, what kind of rest is this? We’ll come back around to this at the end.

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart,...”

Jesus shows us His heart in this part of the verse. He is showing us who He is, at His core. He is a loving, gentle, kind, compassionate, and holy God. This invitation comes with a special kind of gift: change. He offers to teach us His ways, His love, His heart. And over the course of our walk with Christ He does change us. I can imagine that you look and sound more like Jesus today then when you first got saved. He is teaching us. He steers us with His own yoke. (A yoke is what farmers use to drive cattle with, in case you don’t know.) However, aren’t yokes heavy and burdensome?

“...and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Not Jesus’s yoke. It is easy. It is light. Why? Because of the rest we find in Jesus. Brothers, sisters, and friends, He gives us rest for our souls. Our inner most being will be satisfied in Jesus. He gives us joy that goes beyond understanding and circumstances. The soul that was once in turmoil and lost, is now found and at rest. This is what Jesus offers us. This rest will go beyond this life as well. It will be an eternal rest that we will experience forever. So you may hear me say “Rest in Christ!” to fellow believers around the church. What exactly does that mean?

Rest in Christ

When I tell someone to rest in Christ, it simply means to trust Him. Jesus said many things. He said He would never cast us out. He would never leave us. He said He would give us rest. He said He loves us. And these things are all true and trustworthy because of who He is: a perfect, holy God. When we rest in Christ, we are trusting in His promises to us. We are trusting that His work on the cross truly was enough. We are trusting that Jesus really did rise from the dead. We are trusting that Jesus loves us and is always with us. That kind of rest is what we all need to be reminded of daily! So when we feel like we cannot go on, we aren't good enough or we are all alone, here is my encouragement to you: Rest in Christ. He will give you all you need. Rest in Him, and He will lead you.

Final Thoughts

I do not have any applications for you in this blog post, but I do have some encouraging words from the scriptures to share with you about resting/trusting is the Lord. I’m sure you will recognize most, if not all these passages. There are good reasons you have heard them before, as we need them to remind us time and time again of the truth. I pray they encourage you as they encourage me!

Psalm 62:1–2 – “For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

1 Peter 5:6-7 – “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

John 15:1-5 – “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

Romans 15:13 – “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

Matthew 11:28 – “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”