Where is your family’s favorite place to rest and relax?

A sandy beach with warm waves gently crashing on the shore? A cozy cabin tucked away in the woods? Maybe it’s just a fuzzy blanket, cool pillow, and dark bedroom at the end of the day! No matter where your favorite restful and relaxing place is, we all know it’s a good thing to slow down and charge up from time to time.

That’s actually how God designed us – to have a balance between work and rest. Humans were created in the image of God, and God himself rested on the seventh day after spending the first six days of history creating the universe as we know it.

But physical and mental rest aren’t the only rest we need. We need spiritual rest too. Our souls get caught up in the turmoil of temptation, sin, guilt, and shame. So if you think your body needs a good rest, recognize that your soul needs it even more. So where do we go to find spiritual rest?

There are plenty of options, but only one can give you true rest – God’s Word.

In the Bible, specifically in the gospel (the good news about Jesus), God offers true spiritual rest. Feeling harassed by temptations? God is your safe hiding place. Feeling weighed down by sin and the guilt that comes with it? God promises that all those sins were paid for by Jesus on the cross. Feeling alone or isolated? God promises to hear and answer the prayers of his people. The power of God’s Word doesn’t just offer spiritual rest, it makes true rest actually possible!

So when you need true rest, crack open your Bible and get into God’s Word. Better yet, make a plan when you’re feeling rested, so when those restless times come, you have a favorite passage to turn to that reminds you of the rest you have in Jesus. How about the passage below as a starting point?

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

Conversation Starters

For Younger Kids:

• Where is your favorite place to rest or relax?
• What kind of rest does Jesus give us?
• How is the rest that Jesus gives different from just taking a nap or a vacation?

For Older Kids (and adults!)

• What are some ways we try to find “rest” in this world that don’t truly satisfy our souls?
• How can your family encourage one another to seek rest in Christ during busy or stressful times?