Friday, February 25, 2011

"FAN THE FLAME" FRIDAY - Rest

Welcome to "Fan the Flame" Friday.

This is a weekly post that will be "short and sweet" (kinda like me...)

Just a word and a phrase, a sentence or a question...just a little something to "fan the flame" of your creativity!

Today's word: rest

What do you think is meant by a Christian's rest?

Do you think rest necessarily means an absence of anxiety?

Is it for this life or the next?


Let me know what you think!!


"This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you…For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:6-7)


BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

14 comments:

  1. Now, I WONDER what in the world made you choose this one for today?


    I'll be thinking over this as I go about my morning work. When I REST over coffee or lunch, I'll be back to share my thoughts.

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  2. Rest...freedom from activity or labor; peace of mind or spirit; to take relief or respite
    Christian rest I think means to purposefully refrain from worrying...to place your trust in the LORD..to be still and know. To rest assured in His promises, that He will do what He says He will do.
    I think rest is to hand what ever has you anxious, to the LORD. So yes, it's meant to be free from anxiety. Phil 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Phil 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
    I think it's meant for this life as well as our final rest with Jesus in Heaven..Rev. 14:13
    Great flame the flame question Sharon.
    Have a restful weekend!
    Julie

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  3. I definitely needed today's word: REST! It has been a crazy week. I need to just cuddle up in my Heavenly Father's arms and soak up HIS presence!

    Blessings,
    andrea

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  4. Hi Sharon,
    I would think freedom from anxiety would be a big part of it. Nothing like anxiety to rob you of sleep and relaxation. Take Care and enjoy your weekend. God Bless - Nita

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  5. I think rest means a place of peace away from
    any cares or burdens we may be carrying. It
    is a rest so different from just physical
    relaxing. It is supernatural.

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  6. Rest. So desired. So required. We want it so desperately.

    We can incorporate God's Word in our minds and hearts. "Be anxious for nothing, etc" That is all very good and I don't dismiss it at all, however...I think if we really rest in Christ we will take His yoke upon us and walk with Him...letting Him bear the brunt-if not all- of the yoke. There is so much rest when we give our burdens to Him.

    Why is that so hard to do sometimes? Okay. Lots of times! Maybe one reason is because all too often we don't want to WAIT to see the completion of what God is doing. Other times, perhaps it's because His will...frankly...isn't lining up with what we had in mind.

    Some thoughts.

    Good question. Thanks, Sharon.

    Shay

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  7. I find resting is hard for me. But when I do - it is the absence of worry and just maybe reading and having a cup of tea. In God's arms . . .
    sandie

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  8. Well, I never did get a good rest after all.

    Hmmm...I guess that's why it had to be made a commandment. Our creator knew our sin nature so well that He knew we wouldn't do what was good for us without straining against it.

    But I guess you're talking about a spiritual rest. To me, resting in the Lord isn't as much about being still as it is about holding on for the ride.

    Too tired from not resting today to give more.

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  9. Rest.... always a good thing, often elusive. I really liked what Shay said above... Rest in my spiritual walk means really trusting God, moment by moment, and that gets challenged daily! I am a 'doer'... rest isn't always natural for me, and yet...

    Freedom from worry, anxiety, fear... going straight to Him sooner... that brings rest.

    Good word to ponder this weekend!

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  10. rest - Be still and know I am God

    just stepping back and allowing ourselves to regroup, recharge, rejuvenate

    hard to do though, we tend to go, go, go, go, go and go and then barely rest and we wonder why we are soooo stressed and anxious.....

    good word for today, Sharon!

    betty

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  11. Hi Sharon -

    Rest for me means, among other potent truths,
    Matthew 11:28 - KJV:
    "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

    THANK YOU, JESUS!!!

    Sidebar: This evening (Saturday) EST I will post the answers to 7 UPS QUIZUPS.

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  12. Oh boy!! I've got some "fan flaming" friends today!!

    Julie - WOW! I just loved your power-packed comment. You covered both aspects of rest - for this life and the next - and I loved the Scriptures you shared. They were perfect (but isn't the Word of God always that way?!) I especially appreciated the one from Revelation - "...for they will rest from their hard work." That sounds absolutely delightful!

    Andrea - Soak up the Lord's presence, and snuggle into His rest!! Wrapped in His arms is the best place to be in the whole world!! Enjoy your time with Him - and hopefully, next week won't be so crazy!

    Nita - Yes, anxiety. The one thing that consistently robs me of rest - in my mind, in my body, and in my spirit. But, praise the Lord, He promises that to those who are heavy-laden, He will give them rest.

    Sandy - I really like how you worded this - a place of peace. It made me think that rest is almost a destination. Somewhere that we have to travel to intentionally. We must seek that place of peace - and oftentimes, it is only found when we come away from the world's woes.

    Shay - Loved your thoughts. Putting on the yoke - it implies some work on our part. And that is what you mentioned - the surrender of our burdens to the only One who can really carry them. Yes, impatience and stubbornness often lead to us (me!) holding on to those burdens. And there is no rest found when we are carrying too heavy a load.

    Sandie - I can just picture you reading with a cup of tea! I find that I have to make myself just STOP sometimes - and do something that brings me peace and quiet - both literally and spiritually. In God's arms...is there anything better??

    Debbie - I really like what you said! Thanks for coming back! I love that image of holding on for the ride. Roller coaster - whee! I think you've hit on something here. True resting is most often displayed when we're totally out of control - and yet, still trusting in the One who's in control.

    Sonja - How insightful of you to point out that rest is often elusive. Yes, it is. And yet, I love how you offered one of the solutions - going straight to Him sooner. Yes, that would work!!

    Betty - That is one of my all-time favorite verses. I hear in it a command - Stop, and know that I alone am God - and I hear in it a promise - IF you stop, you will know Me. Go, go, go - a formula for unrest. Stepping back - into His presence - ah, perfect rest.

    Sandra - Another of my favorite Scriptures. Sharing the load with our Savior, who pulls more than His share, and who knows the way to properly plow the fields of our lives. (I did 7-ups. I'll stop by in a while to see how I did!)

    Your words today, friends, brought me a sense of peace. They were supremely calming, and gave me a sense of God's perfect rest.

    I will close with this from Psalm 23:

    "He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams."

    GOD BLESS!

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  13. Blessings Sharon... well, late again...but so thankful that you found REST in the words of fellow flame fanners! It is covered well! When I read "Sleepless..." I almost sent you this and scriptures on REST!

    REST = PEACE(relax and let go of all that is encumbering your body, mind and spirit, peace of mind and spirit) + GOD'S SWEET PRESENCE + Freedom from motion or activity... sweet repose (when oh when?)(it will come, yes, indeed)

    There are at least 5 kinds of REST according to a study I read for Christian rest. There's a temporary rest from labor(1)... a break from work that we are doing, including ministry as well as work in the world.[I may repeat some of the above shared scriptures which were so great but I need to to make the distinction in the REST]. Mark 6:30-32
    2nd one has to do with our ability as Christians to BE at "Rest" in our work because of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Matthew 11:28-30

    3rd Rest is God's Rest... dealing with our salvation, "a causing to cease" or "putting to rest" Hebrews 3:7-19

    4th Rest... to cause to Rest Hebrews 4:1-16

    5th as Christians, every day is a day of rest, Sabbath for us. Therefore, we have constant "rest" with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
    Hebrews 4:9

    The way I like to think of REST, [and not just the absence of "anxiety" (one of many possibilities)] is thinking about what the REST
    signifies in music... silence but rhythmic, a brief pause though timed... motion stops, emotions stop, words stop, even the symphony of musical notes stop to give pause, free of all "noise" and motion... breathe in and out and hear the silence with an assured sense of peace between that moment and the next knowing it will arrive, it is measured, it is counted, it is under the Master's control.

    Rest is a promise from God to all believers in Jesus Christ, those who COME! We can come in this life daily or nightly and we will find complete rest eternally! It's a gift! It's a command! It's God's gentle hand... sense His awesome Rest holding you now and forever in PEACE!

    Love, peace and JOY as always... I love that everyone shared so beautifully and now I can read what you shared better and trust that you are finding His Rest!
    Peggy

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  14. Peggy - OK, this was so very interesting. All the different meanings of rest. This would make a great post. (Is that a challenge for you?! Maybe... :)
    And I so love how you finished - Rest is a promise, a gift, a command - It is God's gentle hand. That brought tears of comfort... And I do sense His Rest, I can feel it holding me.

    I know you were praying for me yesterday (Friday) - If you have a chance, read my post on Tuesday 3/1 - it tells a story about what happened at Freedom Village (the assisted living place I go to) - it was a real moment when God showed up...

    Love to you, Peggy - GOD BLESS!

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"So [I] have been greatly encouraged in the midst of [my] troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. It gives [me] new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord. How [I] thank God for you!" (1 Thessalonians 3:7-9)

Thanks for your comments - it is such a joy to be sharing my journey with friends like YOU!

(NOTE: Anonymous comments will be removed. Thank you for understanding.)