Jesus Took Naps (And So Should You)

Resting in God

We live in a restless age. Productivity is worshipped, and busyness is worn like a badge of honour. We fill our schedules to the brim, fuel our stress, and mistake movement for meaning. Somewhere in all the noise, we’ve bought into a lie—that rest is laziness, that stillness is a waste, and that God is more impressed with our performance than with our presence.

But the gospel tells us a different story. Rest isn’t weakness. From the very beginning, God wove rest into creation itself. In Genesis we read that on the seventh day, God finished His work and rested. Not because He was exhausted, but to set a pattern—a divine reminder that we are not slaves, that rest is part of what it means to live in holiness.

Jesus Himself showed us this. He didn’t heal everyone He met. He didn’t rush to meet every need. Sometimes He withdrew. Sometimes He slept—even in storms. Sometimes He rose early just to pray. The Son of God rested. Not because there was nothing left to do, but because He trusted His Father completely. And that’s really what rest is about: trust.

"Listen to Jesus."

Resting in God isn’t simply about slowing down or unplugging for a while. It’s about surrender. It’s the daily declaration that “God, I am not You, and that’s the best news I’ve heard all day.” It means laying down our obsession with control, loosening our grip on outcomes, and trusting the One who holds the world—and us—in His hands.

That’s why Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11:28 is so powerful. It’s not a soft whisper, but a bold summons: “Come to Me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” He doesn’t say fix yourself up first. He doesn’t give you a checklist to complete. He just says: come.

Because real rest isn’t found in spa days, holidays, or Netflix marathons. Those might help us switch off, but they don’t restore the soul. True rest is found at the feet of Jesus. It’s a stillness that reaches deeper than circumstances, a peace that remains even in the middle of chaos, because it flows from His presence.

So how do we begin? By making space—not just in our diaries, but in our hearts. By resisting the urge to fill every quiet moment with noise. By choosing to sit in stillness when everything around us screams for speed. By opening our Bibles before we open our phones. By learning to breathe in grace, breathe out fear, and trust that God is working while we rest, not only when we strive.

Resting in God isn’t about escape—it’s about resistance. It’s refusing to bow to a culture that says your worth is measured by your output. It’s the holy defiance of saying, “I will not try to earn what Christ has already won.”

So today, stop striving. Stop running. Fall into the arms of the One who has already finished the work. The One who never sleeps. The One who never fails. The One who never leaves. And let your soul remember, maybe for the first time in a while, what it really means to rest. 

Article written by Shaun Fereday,  Prison Chaplain (Sessional) & Leader @SFGH Church.