Actively Resting in Christ

My summer is quickly coming to an end, and with it, so is my weekly writing. Having the chance to write throughout these past weeks has been such a gift, and I’ve come to realize that when I don’t have it, I feel the absence of an outlet I need. So, I will continue as I can. The pieces may be brief, but they will come from what the Lord is showing me through His people, His presence, and His Word. My prayer is that they encourage you as well.

Another gift I’ve had this summer is meeting with two women from my church. We’re going through a book together, and when we meet, we discuss the chapter and allow conversations to unfold naturally. Recently, we were talking about relationships, and as marriage came up, one of the women shared a quote that has stuck with me since “[We are to] actively rest in the acceptance of Christ.”

Immediately, what stood out to me was the word “active.” I am a doer—for better or for worse. I am typically quite restless. When people talk about “resting in Christ,” I often feel lost, because what am I supposed to do with that? But when my friend said “actively rest,” I thought, Oh! I can do something with this. As we wrapped up the night, I knew that quote would keep swirling in my mind.

The conclusion I’m coming to from that quote is this: in order to actively rest in the acceptance of Christ, I have to keep coming back to the truth—I am accepted in Christ. It’s so easy to fall into the mindset of “The more I do, the more accepted I am,” but that’s exactly what this quote pushes back against. I’d even go so far as to say, we might actually need to do less. This truth should lead us back to what Christ has already done for us—His finished work—so we can truly rest in it. That’s where active rest begins.

The finished work of Christ is something I never want to take for granted. I’ve been praying more for a soft heart and for eyes that are awake to the “awe of God.” God sent His Son, Jesus, to earth—God decreed it. There is so much power in understanding that phrase. Jesus lived a sinless life and yet knows all human emotions and feelings (Hebrews 4:15). He was sent to Calvary to die the death we deserved—all the sins of the world laid upon Him. My sin kept Him there. Your sin kept Him there. His blood speaks a better word. His work was finished on the cross.

Because of Jesus’ work, I am accepted in Christ. I wish it were that simple—that nothing more had to be said, and no more struggle would follow. But I think we would miss the fullness of Christ if we didn’t have to struggle through that truth. Often, we struggle well by preaching the Word back to ourselves, and by confessing to one another when we are having trouble believing we are truly accepted in Him.

When we actively rest in Christ and preach the truth of His acceptance to ourselves, we are freed to love others more deeply. Secure in His acceptance, we can offer that same grace to our brothers and sisters—especially when they confess or struggle—because we no longer need to protect or prove ourselves.

The phrase “actively rest in Christ” is something we won’t fully grasp until Heaven, but as we pursue righteousness, we have the opportunity to keep the truth “I am accepted in Christ” on our tongues. And when we surround ourselves with those who continually point us to the Savior who never slumbers, we’re reminded that we can rest, because He never stops working.