Happy Thanksgiving!! Even in the midst of 2020, there is much to be thankful for. This week, I have the honor of bringing you a guest blog from a dear friend and mentor, Eryn Moors. Eryn is authentic, centered on God, and rooted in love. It’s a joy to know her, and I’m grateful for all of our memories together. Receive this encouragement from her heart to yours, and be strengthened in your soul!

“Unforced Rhythms of Grace” by Eryn Moors

On January 12, 2020 my husband and I stepped out in faith and opened the doors to Rhythm Church, a brand-new church in Oceanside, California. We believed (and still believe) that there was a void in our city that God wanted to use our church to fill, needs that He wanted our church to meet. Rhythm Church was birthed from a very powerful section of scripture that most Christians have probably read:

“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

In a prayer time with the Lord, my husband was led to read a different version of these powerful verses:

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” – The Message

Of course, I had no idea how relevant and timely this section of scripture was going to be for the 2020 year. I had no idea how many people would need to hear that message of encouragement and instruction. I had no idea how much life it would breathe into MY soul, that I would read it over and over in every version of the Bible I could find, and that I would begin to speak it out loud during my most anxious moments.

Over the course of the last year, God has spoken so much to me out of those few verses, and it has absolutely transformed the way I do life.

Jesus says, “Come to me.” That’s His first instruction to us in the section of the Bible titled “Rest for the Weary.” Just come. There’s no hard work asked of us here. God is calling us to come and just BE. It’s so important for us to have work-free time in God’s presence, time to sit and hear and feel loved. In a time in our lives where there is so much comparison and division and stress, it’s crucial that we learn to get away and REST in the Lord. (And just in case you need the definition of rest, it means to recover and collect strength; to keep quiet; to stop.) It’s hard not to get confused when it comes to this idea of rest. The world would say that rest comes when we go on vacation or get 8 hours of sleep or have a night out with friends, and for sure, those things can be restful. BUT, true soul-rest comes from connecting with God; He is our source (our vine) and apart from Him “we can do no good thing” (John 15:5).

When we rest in the Lord, He graces us with the ability to REFOCUS on what really matters. We can stop striving after the things that God has not called us to put our hearts, minds, and hands to. We can stop living up to other people’s expectations. We can stop saying “yes” when the best answer is “no.” It’s time to pay careful attention to the way Jesus walked, how He loved and interacted with people, and how He prioritized His time. I’ve learned in my 41 years of life that I will always feel busy. It’s human nature to fill time with to-do’s, but MAN, it is so much easier to labor when I know that my energy is being expended in the areas that God intended. Jesus says that He won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on us, so let’s make the choice not to lay heavy ill-fitting and non-essential things on ourselves. Free yourself from the compulsion to “do it all” and instead utilize His power to be effective for His kingdom.

There is a beautiful cycle of rest, refocus, and action that God invites us into. As Christ-followers, let’s rely on our Father to fill us up as we rest in Him. Let’s adopt His perspective as we refocus on our unique God-given mission. Let’s do the work of loving others.  

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9