The First Piece of Dough

I suppose it been a long time since I last wrote... A very long time. Its definitely not because I have not had anything to write, but the fact that time passes so easily that busyness and commotion afford outlets, like these, to be forgotten for a while.

Recently, I resigned from a management position with a residential renovation company. It has been almost a month since I stopped working there. The time that I have had has been good and continues to be good. Although its good, it is neither easy nor as restful as many people may assume not having a job may be. I am certainly not complaining, but simply putting the question, "Why?" on the platform. So, you ask, "Why?" do you? I will tell you.

Rest is required. I need it to survive. Formerly, I have not been resting due to lack of time and other excuses as such. Rest is not optional. God created, formed, and spoke things into being in six days, then rested. What do you think He was doing before He began to create? Rhetorical questions are so much fun. Rest is not an easy state to enter into and to even think of it as an action is to misinterpret the meaning of rest. Rest is not a "doing" at all. It is neither not doing anything, nor doing something that creates a relief internally. Rest is not achieved by going on a vacation, nor is it not doing work. Rest is a state of being. Not a doing but a being. This is why Jesus' yoke is light and easy. Learn from Him, and we will have rest for our souls. 

Honestly, I'm struggling to find the right words to describe. One part of the struggle is that the audience has changed. The possibility that someone may come across my blog and read this affords me the idea that I must speak to someone versus just writing my thoughts. Which would allow me to avoid concerning myself of what others may think, or if they will agree or disagree. My journal is a safe spot. I can write and write and no one is there to judge me or misunderstand me. I can't make everyone understand me either, which is a harsh reality for me. I want for what I have learned and understood to be communicated in hope that my brothers and sisters through Christ may somehow benefit. I suppose this whole post is about genuinely coming into the understanding of who we are in God's eyes. I don't want to use the word, "identity" or the phrase, "who we are in Christ," because it seems these phrases and truths have been so widespread. Yet, the effect of these truths are not nearly as widespread as the knowledge of these truths are. Just as Paul wrote to the Romans, Corinthians, and various other countrymen to teach, rebuke, and encourage, I believe we in the United States need our own letter. If Paul had wrote a letter to us, the church in the United States, I believe it would be very encouraging and enlightening, but I think he would also be stern. Through all the religious trials and history in the States, the true life of the believer and what it looks like has been watered down. I sincerely believe it has not been watered down on purposed but because of ignorance and lack of experience. We need a letter written to us telling us of our faults and accomplishments, in the States, and where and how we are to improve as the church, as the body of Jesus. If there was a letter that was written, I know of one thing that would be in it. It would say something to this effect. 

"You constantly refuse to believe what has been done for you. You walk in the shadow when there is Light two feet beside you. You dwell in the dungeon that has been unlocked centuries ago and you refuse to walk into the land of freedom and joy that is just beyond the gate. What is this Gate? You know what it is, it is Jesus. For some reason you work and toil day after day believing that it is necessary and required for life to go on. Is this necessary? Do you not know that God provides for you? Do you not remember what Jesus said, that if God cares for the birds of the air, how much more so does he care for you? You must rest in the joy of your salvation. If you have not rest, get rest. If you have not joy, get joy. If you have not salvation, get salvation. You must start walking as Jesus walked, trusting and obeying in His heavenly Father. This starts with rest, work hard to enter into rest so that you may know who are are in God's eyes."

Rest is the catalyst for knowing who we are as a son or daughter of God. We cannot work to know who we are, how does that make sense? We must start with every day in rest, knowing that we are His. When God was creating the world and the universe as we know it to be, it states in Genesis, "and there was evening and there was morning, one day." And it continues like this through the sixth day. The actual day started at night, began with sleep and moved to morning, when work was done and then finished by the end of the day, for the next day to start at evening. We have it all mixed up. In the morning, when we wake up, it is not the new day. It is already the second part of the day. We first rested, and then we arise to go about our day. We do not awake and go about our day and get tired and then spend the evening resting after work. We rest in the evening first, sleep through the night to awake in the morning to work forwards from our rest. We could not accomplish anything if it was the other way around. Our perspectives need to change, our goal for the day is not to rest from our work, but to work from our rest. To explain more, we are never to be in a mode of work and then rest from our labor. We are made to be in a mode of rest constantly and consistently, then to work from that rest, still being in a mode of rest. As an example, even as I am writing this, I am in a mode of rest. Before I began writing I was in mode of rest. In that mode I am working to write this and when I am done writing I will return to rest but having not left it. I'm not bragging or saying that I have this rest thing mastered. It is so important to offer any explanation that will offer help any one to get on the right track of how we were made to be. I'll tell you right now, a lot of people will disagree with me and tell me I'm wrong and tell me I am misinterpreting the scriptures. Here's the possible offensive part, if there is a disagreement with me on this, its because we have not been taught how to enter into this rest. Its because we are missing an intimate opportunity to know God as a person. This is not a debate or argument or comparison to see who knows God better or anything like that. This is a challenge to change our minds, to change our perspectives, and to seek out truth and abundant life. Jesus came so that we could have abundant life and I am seeking that abundant life out. Abundant life is knowing Him, and one key factor to knowing Him is being where He is currently, which is, has been, and always will be, in rest.