There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God;¹⁰ for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. ¹¹ Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest… Hebrews 4:9-11

This past week was our vacation and absolutely nothing went according to plan.  Originally, we were supposed to be in Shanghai, China.  It’s been 10 amazing years since Katelyn came home, and in celebration, we and a group of other Bethany Christian Services adoption families were slated to participate in a two-week heritage tour arranged by the Chinese government. China offers this cultural exchange free to Chinese American adoptees (the rest of the family pays) to re-introduce them firsthand to their rich 4,000-year cultural heritage in China.  Well, that trip was cancelled due to COVID back in February, so instead one of the adoption families organized a domestic reunion trip in Boone, North Carolina so that the families and girls could still get together.  On Tuesday of last week that trip was cancelled when the host family came down with COVID and North Carolina experienced a large spike in COVID cases.  So, Tuesday night we were left without a planned vacation that we were supposed to embark on the next day.

We called a family council and spent the evening trying to hammer out new plans.  And it was Justin that came up with our new option- Lexington, VA; a quaint, historic town in the Shenandoah valley.  Home to VMI and Washington and Lee University, the town was about an hour from Charlottesville so our eldest daughter, Amanda could join us on the days she wasn’t scheduled to work. And it’s also near river tubing, state parks, a zoo, stunning underground caverns and the Natural Bridge. I’ve gotta say, planning a vacation in 3 hours the night before you leave is not ideal and we were all pretty stressed.  But I’m proud that our family pulled it off and we ended up really enjoying each other and our time together.  It’s good to get away, to unplug, to rest.

As good as vacations can be, however, for a Christian, there’s another kind of rest that’s even better, more comprehensive and longer lasting. In fact, it’s available 24/7 to all of God’s children and not just the week or two that you are at the beach or mountains. This is the sabbath rest that is found in Jesus.    Because of the finished work of Jesus on the cross, we can rest in all that he has done.  He has completely met the requirements of the law. He has fully satisfied the wrath of God. And he has granted us his righteousness that gives us access to the Father. To know Jesus is to know true rest. Think of it as  Jesus’ permanent vacation for you!

Tragically, many people believe that salvation depends on the good deeds they do. But eternal life is not earned, it is a freely bestowed gift we receive through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). And equally tragic are the many Christians who have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior and yet continue to strive to earn God’s favor through their own human effort. To them, life is a rollercoaster of emotional ups and downs as they measure their acceptance from God based on their activity rather than Jesus’ work on the cross. It’s exhausting and ultimately self-defeating.

Here are a few diagnostic questions to help you determine whether you have entered into Jesus’ sabbath rest:

1. Do you experience false guilt that you are never doing enough for God?
2. Do you believe that if you could just do more or be better, God would be happier with you?
3. Is your Christian life motivated by joy or a sense of duty or obligation?
4. When serving God, are you consistently exhausted and depleted in your spirit?

If you answered “yes” to these questions, then it may be that you are striving to do what has already been won for you at the cross. Jesus came to give us rest. Maybe it’s time to get off the hamster wheel and enter into the rest that God desires for you.  Don’t wait for your vacation, rest is available today!