Dearest,
Be honest, does this all seem abstract, impractical and unreal sometimes? All this talk about resting in who God is, in Jesus Christ and His finished work? All this talk about putting your faith in God, and depending on Him and laying your burden on him? Can we actually experience and enjoy God’s rest here on earth? You probably read one letter and feel comforted and encouraged, then the next day, the restless and anxious thoughts and feelings rear their ugly head again.
I think the reason we’re prone to feeling this way is because of our souls (and this fallen world we live in.) At the point of salvation, our spirit is regenerated, that is, imbued with the very life of God, but our soul is not. The soul, which is the seat of your reason, emotions and will, is still accustomed to the sinful nature, to yielding itself to the desires of the flesh, to Self. And this is why the Word of God speaks of renewing your mind, and putting on the new man.
These are action words that portray a deliberateness on our part. And this is the paradox of the life in Christ: that God is at work within us and yet we have to work out our salvation. That we have received the gift of rest and yet we have to apprehend, grasp and lay hold of rest.
In essence, there is a constant inner battle, in which we either choose to walk spiritually (according to the Spirit) or naturally (according to the inclinations of the flesh-controlled soul). We either choose to believe the word and promises of God, or we believe the anxious and disturbed words spoken by our soul. It is the outcome that determines whether you enjoy the rest Jesus has already secured for you or not.
How do we tame the restlessness of our soul so that we can enjoy rest?
By speaking the truth of God’s Word to our soul, by commanding our soul the way you tell a petulant child, “Sit! And let me not hear another word from you.”
Rather than trusting our fickle feelings, as though they were saying the truth, trust the Word of God that is faithful and true. But don’t just stop there: speak that truth to your soul, either within you, vocally, or even by writing in a journal.
I’ve seen this pattern in the Psalms and I love it so much. Some psalms are like monologues. The psalmist expresses his sorrow and anguish, even cries out to God and says he feels like God has forgotten him, then at the end of the psalm, he ‘resolves’ his depressed feelings by putting his trust in God. A good example is Psalm 42.
In verses 9-10, he says:
I say to God, my rock:
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?”
As with a deadly wound in my bones,
my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me all the day long,
“Where is your God?”
This is a man that did not know rest at that time. He was downcast and afflicted in his soul.
But like a person jolted awake from a daydream back to reality, he says in the next verse:
Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.
He taught his soul the truth - No, God is not unfaithful and has not forgotten me. He is faithful, He is working for me, He is mighty to save, therefore I will put my hope and trust in him.
People say, “your feelings are valid.” And in a sense, this is true. Jesus, while walking on earth as a human being, felt feelings. In the Garden of Gethsemane, before his crucifixion, he was in deep anguish. So our feelings make us human. But as a new creature in Christ, you are not a mere human, you have the very nature of God too. By Jesus’ death and resurrection, a new race was created: a race of God-men. So, although we feel these anxious and restless emotions, we do not just leave them be. We subject them to the influence of the Spirit by speaking spiritual truths to our soul.
Sadly, we forget our spiritual nature and identity in Christ, placing an undue focus on our humanity. And this is the reason for the dilemma in the first paragraph. This is the reason why our spiritual blessings and inheritance feel like a fantasy. Because we are too soul-ish. Because like the Corinthian Church, we are “controlled by the flesh and behaving only in a human way” (1 Cor. 3:3 paraphrased)
We express our spirituality by walking in the Spirit and preaching the Word of God to our souls. Is your soul saying, “you are alone. no one loves or cares about you”? Tell your soul, “God is with me, therefore I shall not be afraid. He loves me with an everlasting love and cares for me.” Is your soul saying, “this task is too difficult for you, you’ll make a mess of things”? Tell your soul, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
You cannot win the battle against unrest without the Word of God. First, the Word of God must dwell in you richly - you must meditate on the Word regularly and be soaked with the Word. Second, you must believe the Word which contains the precious promises of God. And finally, you must speak, not just general confessions, but a speech of faith to your soul. When you believe all the truth about the character of God, and the truth about your salvation and its implications, you will confidently speak it to your soul when it voices doubt and fear and anxiety.
We rest by faith in Christ, and that faith is expressed by speaking.
Enjoy rest in Jesus! He loves you and I do, too.
With love from,
Dunnie.