I slept on my couch last night. Didn’t mean for that to happen, but it just did. I was so worn out that I couldn’t make it the 10 or so feet from my living room to my bed. If you’re a friend of mine, this may not seem like a strange thing; in fact, you’ll know that I have a knack for falling asleep anytime or anywhere. Mid conversation, then asleep. Working diligently, then out cold. Heck, I’ve even fallen asleep at concerts! I work myself to the bone every day and my body and mind just can’t seem to keep up. This, as you may imagine, isn’t a great way to operate, and I’ve been trying to get back to a more manageable schedule. One step in the right direction was to go home last night and watch TV and just veg out. The first half of that plan worked, and then I passed out during one of my favorite shows. I hate missing House!

We live in a day and age where information is always flowing and we are expected to be constantly moving. How can we possibly find rest in any of this? The rest I refer to is twofold: physical rest and spiritual rest. Physical rest comes fairly easily: buy a nice bed, schedule a few nights a week to be in it by 10. Simple. Spiritual rest is a bit trickier to come by. The thing that I often forget is thar physical rest DOES NOT result in spiritual rest. You have to find it another way.

The theologian Augustine penned this phrase in his book Confessions: we are restless until we rest in You. But…what does that mean? Is God a serta mattress and down comforter? To find rest in God we must redefine what we believe rest to be. You can be running around 19 hours a day, taking caffeine through an IV drip and still be at rest in God. Matthew 11.28-30 says “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.” Are you weary? Are you burdened? Is your soul tired? This may be caused by the yoke (weight, responsibility) you carry every day. Are you fighting battles by yourself? Are you ever stopping to be refilled?

Philipians 4.6-7 says “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.” So how do we find rest? Seek God! Pray, worship, fellowship with believers; just seek Him. Could it really be that simple? If you believe in the infallibility of God’s word, then yes, yes it is. Just seek Him. Don’t be anxious, don’t worry about anything, but in every situation seek God. It’s only in Him that we find peace.

In ministry there is an 80/20 rule: 80% of the time, do the things that drain you. 20% of the time, do the things that fill you up. For me, spending time with friends fills me up immensely. One night with good friends can make up for a week of craziness. My girlfriend (@emsteine) prefers to stay home and read or watch a movie; as an introvert that’s what brings her from the proverbial E to F. If we apply this rule to fill us up mentally and physically, should we also apply it to our spiritual rest? How often do you seek God? Sunday? Maybe two days a week? Do you read the Word each day, or just on occasion? I think this can make a significant difference in our lives.

I’m not going to pretend that I am always practicing this 80/20 rule physically or spiritually, but I think we should all challenge ourselves to make it happen and observe the results. Maybe one day we’ll push our time spent seeking God to 70/30 or 60/40. Maybe then we’ll find ourselves spiritually rested instead laying awake and counting sheep.