It’s always commendable to put our best effort into whatever we do; there’s nothing wrong with giving one hundred ten percent to something. However, there’s something to be said about rest. If we think of ourselves as the source of our success in life, we’ll run ourselves ragged with little to no results. Thankfully, Jesus has done everything necessary for us to succeed.

As he hung on the cross at the end of His earthly ministry, Jesus declared, "It is finished" before He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. If we wonder exactly what it was that He finished, He was referring to everything that pertains to life and godliness-including our success. We tap into this success through the knowledge of Him who called us to glory and virtue. We can never make ourselves successful; this comes through a personal relationship with Christ.

It’s okay to have good things in life; the difference between the believer and the world is our mindset. Working hard through our self-efforts only leaves us burned out, exhausted, and frustrated. Believing that God wants us to be successful positions us to receive success from Him. The only work necessity on our part is to believe in the one He sent.

Resting doesn’t mean inactivity; hard work is fine as long as we rest in the finished works of Christ while we work. To rest the way God intends means to confidently set aside any worry or anxiety, and trust in His Son. Trying to succeed by worldly standards burdens us and weighs us down; if we’re laboring and feeling heavy-laden, coming to Jesus gives us rest for our souls.

Jesus Christ is our Sabbath and our rest. Entering into His presence gives us rest from our labors in the same way God is resting from His. We must labor to enter into that rest and not fall into unbelief on this point. It’s well worth the effort.

Prayer:

God, what Your Son did on the cross removed the burden of having to depend on our own efforts to succeed. Christ’s finished works made available to us an amazing life we could never achieve ourselves. Thank You for that. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Scriptures:

John 19:30, NLT

2 Peter 1:3

John 6:29, NLT

Matthew 11:28, 29

Hebrews 4:9-11

For more on how Christ is the only one who can bring us real rest, click on the link to find the CD series Finding Rest in Jesus<, in our eStore.