Permission to Rest

Blog by Kristen Hicks

A blank page.

I love that feeling of creating something. Whether it be writing a blog, painting, coloring, decorating, writing music or lyrics, a good ole’ DIY… just creating. There is just something about looking at a blank page and allowing your imagination to run wild. It gives your heart permission to be passionate, brave, and vulnerable. There really is nothing like it.

Then there is that feeling of completion. When you’ve tweaked and perfected something and all of a sudden you step back, take a look at it, have that feeling in your gut, take a breathe and whisper… “It’s done.” It’s sad and satisfying all at the same time.

I love that the Lord put that side of Himself within us. To have ideas, and create new things. To be passionate about things. However, my favorite part about the creation story is not that He created anything. It’s that, when it was all said and done, He rested.

A couple weeks ago I was at camp and the dean, who is a good friend of mine, was telling the campers that we were going to have a nap/rest time. He started to explain to them that rest is the first thing that the Lord ever called holy. That has stuck out in my head ever since.

I think that it’s interesting how counter-culture that is. I know personally, that I fill my life up with so many things that pull for my attention. Even in doing ministry type things, my heart and my intentions are that I want to be there for everyone, and help everyone in any way I possibly can. But eventually, I reach a point that I can’t anymore. I find myself in what seems to be a never ending circle. I pour out, pour out and then pour out some more until finally I crash and I’m completely sucked dry. At this point I allow myself just enough time to fill up just a little only so I can pour it back out again. Because if the truth be told it just seems like there isn’t enough time to be fill completely back up. I don’t think that this is how the Lord intended it to be. This isn’t how He created us.

“Remember, the Sabbath and keep it Holy!”(Exodus 20:8) Holy… to be set apart, sacred, morally and spiritually excellent. I’m gonna do my best to not get too heady on this, because this is something the Lord is teaching me as we speak. If we keep the Sabbath holy, we will find ourselves walking IN holiness and with Holiness Himself. I hope that statement is resinating with you the way that it is me. Jesus calls Himself the Lord of the Sabbath. Holiness speaks of HIS LORDSHIP in our lives. When every single person came to Him with whatever kind of sickness, problem, or whatever, what He gave them was rest along with that thing that they came to Him with. He healed not only their physical problems, He healed their spiritual one. He gave them rest within their souls and He washed them and made them holy.

Sometimes I think the problem is that we don’t give ourselves permission to rest. I remember a while back I had several people telling me that I was supposed to sing prophetically. Well I had never done that, and honestly it scared the crap out of me to even think about doing so. But there was this one time I was at this really small worship night and these two girls were singing and they were just singing whatever the Lord led them to. All of a sudden I started to hear this song it was… “Can you see it? Can you hear it? Can you feel it? It’s heaven touching earth.” I began to sing it in the crowd. Well the girls heard me and they told me to come up on stage and they handed me a microphone. One girl looked at me, smiled, and said, “just sing.” I realized in that moment that no one had ever given me permission to “just sing.” It was from then on that I gave myself permission. To sing a NEW SONG unto the Lord. To sing out my heart, whatever I was hearing, whatever I was seeing, whatever I was feeling, in whatever season I was in, I would just sing stuff out.

I think it’s the same thing with the Sabbath. Sometimes we need permission to take a day. What would life look like if I took a day every single week to just be with Jesus, and do whatever, He wanted? Not a day to hang out with friends or family and do what they wanted or even what I wanted, not just a normal Sunday because that’s what day everyone goes to church,  and not a day to sleep all day and watch movies. Unless, of course, any of these things are what Jesus wants to do. (See what I did there?)

I think that THAT is what His point was to the Pharisees that were questioning Him on the Sabbath. No rules, no restrictions on what you can and cannot do, just let it be a day when Jesus is truly Lord over it! Yes, I know He is Lord over every day, but I know for me, I definitely have my plans, my creations, my schedules and appointments to keep, all of which He could have totally orchestrated. The point is, I think the Sabbath is a day to just have some fun with Jesus. To cut loose with Him and actually enjoy Him. A day to get to know Him in a different light. Learn to trust Him. Learn to lean on Him. Create WITH Him! DREAM WITH HIM!!!! We are the ones who try to make it something that it was never intended to be. I think most of us think of the Sabbath and think its gotta be this day that we sit and read our bible in a dark room all day, pray for every single person on the prayer list, and be completely bored out of freakin’ mind all day.

I think this is what the Lord is saying, “Hey ____insert your name____, I know and see that you have worked really hard these last few days. I want you to come and spend a day with ME, I’ve got something really awesome planned, you are going to love it! Just you and I on an adventure that’s designed just for you! And what’s is even more amazing about it, is that I am going to reveal more of Myself to you, more of who I really am, and it will make you realize even more who I created you to be! I can’t wait! I love you!” 

-Jesus

So find a day, even if it starts out a little time here and a little time there, to be “irresponsible”, if you will,  in the world’s eyes, and just say “YES” to whatever Jesus tells you to do. If you don’t know how to hear from Him then go and just sit and talk with Him and then a take some time to just be still and not say anything, even in your head. Haha. Just listen.  That is how I heard His voice the first time. I just decided to listen to see if He said anything. You will be surprised what comes out of it. I’m pretty sure it will quickly become your favorite day of the week.

I am giving you permission! Permission to be COMPLETELY filled back up! Permission to lay things down! Permission to be “irresponsible”! Permission to just BE! Permission to create and dream and go on adventures WITH Jesus! I am giving you PERMISSION TO REST!!!!!!