Enter God’s rest. Those words seem simple as we think about three other words. “It is finished.” The spiritual significance of both three-word phrases takes on new meaning for Christian writers on January 1st.
You and I jump on our giddy-up, it’s time to make changes platform when we recall last year’s failures and successes.
We’ve made up our minds. This New Year will be different. God called us to write a blog which is nothing short of extraordinary. Google “Christian women blogs” and you’ll get 30+ million results.
It’s a huge task to reach the world for Christ, but God believes in us. He wants us to share our relationship with Him to benefit other people. The reason—we’ll stand tall when we complete His will for our lives.
Does entering God’s rest mean we take a holiday from life? When we think about finished works, do we turn over the proverbial rock to see what’s underneath, only to lift it up again for one more look? Let’s keep exploring how we enter God’s rest.
Enter God’s Rest by Understanding What It Means
Christian women bloggers are in the crosshairs of every reader looking for answers. Bloggers don’t take the place of God, but they get people to think about their spiritual journeys. When we share how God turned pride into humility or He asks us to remind others that they’re daughters of the king, readers become hopeful. So let’s get back to why “It is finished” is paramount to entering into God’s rest.
Jesus had an assignment—to save people eternally from sin. He sets His face like flint, endures unbearable sufferings and slanders, and finishes His assignment. The Greek word tetelestai or “It is finished” means, paid in full. Jesus takes our place to cancel the debt we should have paid. After telling the disciples what to expect after his death, He speaks to His Father. John 17:4, “I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.”
Once God instructs us to blog for Him, He expects us to rest and depend on Him for the results. We bring Him glory through our words. That doesn’t mean we turn into puppets or robots. God works through our intellects, spirits, and personalities to convey His truth to other people.
At the heart of our efforts lies a will that matches God’s. We’re content to write posts that reflect God’s heart on a variety of subjects. God once counseled me to “pause, refresh, and reset” when I sense I’m taking over instead of letting Him be God. I still do that.
Enter God’s Rest by Ceasing From Your Labors
God rested from His work of creation on the seventh day. Genesis 2:2 – ” By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”
Jesus enters God’s rest before He ever appears on earth. He sure looks busy when He’s here, but He’s at rest while working. Here’s why in John 8:28. “So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.” 
We take our cues from God through The Holy Spirit so our yokes are easy and our burdens light (Mathew 11:30). Words flow from our pens or keyboards without giving a thought to how many people we reach. We make sure what we hear is what God says and not the other way around. Here’s why that’s important.
Enter God’s Rest by Knowing How To Enter
The Israelites didn’t enter into God’s rest due to unbelief. According to Deuteronomy 1:1, the 40-year journey should have taken 11 days.
Hebrews 3:16-19. Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.
Hold on to unbelief and disobedience, and we’ll be like the Israelites and go around in circles. So how do we keep from following the same path the Israelites did so we can enter God’s rest? The Bible gives us the answer.
Hebrews 4:7-11 – “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.”
How do we harden our hearts?
To me, it means I’m no longer friendly with God. I’ve turned away. That’s dangerous territory for a Christian blogger. What can you and I offer others if we give Him a cold shoulder? We can’t hear His voice unless our hearts tune in to His presence.
That scripture tells me to become exceedingly diligent to rest from my work. Normal everyday events distract from our time with God. Our bodies get tired and our minds weary. When we desensitize our spirits by letting “things” enter in before God, we’re on a quick path to disobedience.
If that happens, when we blog we create a depository of dead works rather than breathe life into the hearts and minds of readers. God wants you and me to be living testimonies reflecting our vital connection to Him. When we do, we’ve entered God’s rest.
Betsy writes for JESUS because of "Everyday Life with HIM" without pew-warming stuffiness or religious garble. She's an encourager at heart with a mission to draw others to Christ.
