Faith in Motion: Why Resting in the Lord Isn’t Lazy

“Just rest in the Lord,” my best friend mumbled into her coffee cup as she scooted out of her chair to leave the cafe. I had just confided in her about a situation at work that was worrying me. It felt good to vent to a trusted friend, and as I gathered my belongings to follow her out, I felt better cathartically, superficially, but did I really feel better?

“What does she mean by ‘rest in the Lord?’” I asked myself as my boots crunched through the fall leaves on the way to the car.

“Sure, I’ll just rest in God and everything will be fine,” I muttered sarcastically, backing out of the parking space. 

Always cheerful and at ease no matter what was happening in her life, my bestie lived like she already knew how to rest in Jesus. Her use of “Christianese” sometimes left me feeling uncertain, confused, and unheard. When did she have time to sit and pray regularly in the comfy leather chair in her study—the one with the green nubby knit throw blanket? By telling me to rest in the Lord, did she mean “don’t worry about the problem at work,” or “go do some Bible study to get your mind off it?”

“As if I have time to sit around and rest,” I hissed, rolling my eyes as I drove to my next appointment. “Who has time to sleep, let alone rest in the Lord?” I thought as I began to stress.

Climbing into bed that night, I texted her about my frustration, but her reply confused me even more. She wrote, “I’m trying to say that resting in God isn’t just some kind of spiritual lounging. Rest isn’t laziness; it’s active. Rest is a form of trust; it’s a verb. Rest is faith in motion.” Plugging my phone into the charger on the nightstand, I turned out the light, hoping to relax. Instead, I spent a sleepless night knowing less about rest than ever. 

The next day, lost in obsessive thinking, I hopped on my laptop to look up statistics about rest. My online search led to articles about chronic stress, and I couldn’t help but think I was searching for something to justify my imagined rebuttal to my friend on her ideas about biblical rest. One survey I read stated that over 70% of Americans reported physical and psychological symptoms of stress. What a relief to see I wasn’t the only one who felt overwhelmed managing countless daily activities. Rest felt impossible in the fast-paced world of drive-thru lattes and social media notifications. I grew up believing that rest meant lying down, sleeping, or cozying up on the couch in pajamas with a cup of tea. While this is certainly one component of physical rest, resting in God goes beyond just having a lazy day or retreating from the world. 

While our bodies, temples of the Holy Spirit, require physical upkeep, our hearts, minds, and spirits long for dialogue and communion with God. I realized I had defaulted to a Google search before opening God’s Word for clarity about what it meant to rest in Him. Closing my laptop, I stopped to pray. It was time to break my habit of approaching things from my own understanding, so I began, “Father, I’m at a loss. What do YOU want me to know about resting in You?” 

What does God say about resting in Him?

Jesus offers true rest for our souls.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

God models Sabbath rest.

“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.” (Genesis 2:2)

We can trust God’s provision. 

“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)

God offers less anxiety and more peace. 

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

We can invite His presence to go with us everywhere. 

“The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Exodus 33:14)

We will hear His voice if we stop and listen to our shepherd.

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27)

His rest is a safe place.

“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” (Psalm 4:8)

What are some ways we can practice resting in the Lord?

• Rest with Him daily in the secret place. (Matthew 6:6)

• Sabbath can be a meaningful priority each week. (Exodus 20:8-11)

• Trust Him in all things. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

• Pray as an ongoing conversation. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

• Invite the presence of the Holy Spirit. (Luke 11:13)

• Listen for His voice. (Jeremiah 33:3)

• Surrender control. (Matthew 16:24-25)

• Search scripture for more ideas.

Rest becomes easier when we accept that nothing comes to us that hasn’t passed through the permissive will of our Father. It’s trusting that His plans for us are good, and that He will never harm or abandon us. Ultimately, resting in the Lord is a lifestyle marked by peace in the midst of motion, confidence in the face of chaos, and trust rooted in faith. Resting in Jesus isn’t laziness; it’s the strongest thing we can do. 

Thanks to my friend's honest and uncompromising words at the coffee shop, I now understand that resting in God is active. It’s both a verb and a state of being. Faith-based rest is the opposite of holding onto things tightly; instead, it’s letting go and letting Him. With patience and practice, we can learn to hold things loosely in surrender and trust. Resting in God is a choice to stop relying solely on ourselves and ask God to help us. We invite him to join us so that we can lean into His strength. As autumn approaches, it’s a perfect time for a reset—a prayerful review of our goals for the coming year. Join me as we apply these scriptures to our lives and learn to “fall” into a new season of rest. 

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About the Author: Jenny Foster, Author and speaker, Jenny Foster is passionate about helping people move from adversity to inspiration. The Lord called her to write a book and build an abortion healing ministry. She enjoys traveling, reading, mentoring, creative writing, and Bible journaling. You can reach Jenny at https://www.jennyfoster.org/ or author@jennyfoster.org. . You can reach Jenny at jennyfoster.org or author@jennyfoster.org.