Yesterday, I was lucky enough to attend a Visitation in Greater Manchester, where for a 3rd year I was sworn in as Church Warden. The Visitation was led by Ven Dr Rachel Mann, and her address was something that really impacted me the more i thought about it. This is a reflection on Rest.
When we talk about discernment, the conversation almost always steers towards action. We ask ourselves, What am I supposed to do? Where am I being led?
We might feel a vocational tug towards ordained ministry as a Vicar. Perhaps the pull is towards becoming a Lay Reader, leading a young people’s group, or finding unique, creative ways to make and grow disciples. Sometimes, the calling is beautifully simple: standing at the door to welcome people into the church, or simply being a steadfast Christian presence in a secular workplace.
Whatever shape it takes, the journey of discernment requires energy. But in our eagerness to figure out our specific, active calling, we often overlook our most fundamental calling as Christians: the calling to rest in God.
We Are All Carrying Something
Life is full of ups and downs, and regardless of what God is asking us to do, the reality is that we are all burdened. Some of us carry the heavy weight of anxiety, the physical exhaustion of daily life, the mental fatigue of neurodivergence, or the quiet, unseen struggles we hide behind a Sunday smile.
Jesus knew this. In the Gospel of John, He reminds us, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). Furthermore, He extends that famous, open invitation to anyone carrying a heavy load: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
But what does that rest actually look like?
What True Rest Is (And Isn’t)
When we are completely drained, it is tempting to confuse isolation with rest.
What rest isn’t: It isn’t pulling the duvet over our heads and lying in bed for days on end, hoping the world will stop spinning. It isn’t shutting everyone out and struggling alone in the dark. That is survival mode, and while God has immense grace for us in those moments, it is not the true rest He designed for us.
What rest is: True rest is found at the feet of Jesus. It is an active surrender. It is the conscious decision to take the chaotic, heavy, and confusing issues we are harbouring and physically, mentally, and spiritually lay them down before Him.
Remember, True rest is not the absence of struggle or hurt; it is the presence of Jesus in the midst of your entire life.
Laying It Down
If you are currently wrestling with your calling, or simply exhausted by the demands of the week, remember that you do not have to carry it all yourself. You do not need to have your vocation perfectly mapped out before you are allowed to sit at His feet.
Before He calls you to lead, to speak, to welcome, or to serve, He calls you to simply be with Him.
Take a moment today to stop striving. Bring your burdens, your dyslexia, your confusion, and your exhaustion to Jesus. Lay them at His feet, and let Him give you the true, restorative rest that your soul is longing for.
A Reflection for the Week: What is one heavy burden you have been trying to carry on your own this week? How can you consciously lay it at the feet of Jesus today?