Over the past few years, I have come to learn more about God and also myself. I have learned that I feel the most alive when I am outside and feel the most connected to God when I listen to worship music. I hear God’s voice and am reminded of how He feels about me when I read my Bible. Through my experiences, I feel like God speaks to me most predominantly through interactions with others or through my circumstances. I use this information about myself in order to have a deeper relationship with Christ–not to limit how God can work in my life. God has created each of us differently and, as a result, we connect with Him–just like with others–in various ways.

I want to let you in on something: the activities I listed above are moments of my day that I cherish, but I have to decide to choose them. One of my love languages is quality time–the more time I spend with someone the more connected I feel to them. This carries into my daily walk with Christ; the more time I spend with Him, the more connected I feel to Him and the more I receive true rest.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

All those things sound great, almost perfect, but the reality is I am imperfect. There is a part of me that still wants to indulge in temporary fulfillment and rest in a way that has no eternal value. My flesh is not programmed to refuel by doing something that might take a little extra effort; it wants easy–something that can numb the world and its harsh realities.

My go-to activities become watching my favorite show or scrolling through Instagram. I neglect the things that I truly love and use technology as a cheap substitute. Instead of doing something that brings true rest or draws me closer to God, I put aside the gifts God has given me and choose what society calls “rest.”

My soul continues to long for relief, but somewhere along the way I have been programmed to believe the lie that technology is my safe place. Funny enough, I never feel renewed to the same extent that I do when I lean into how God created me to spend time with Him.

He refreshes my soul. Psalm 23:3

To be clear, this is not to say technology is bad, because it is OK to have a favorite show or to use social media. The problem lies in relying on technology to fill a void instead of relying on God to give you the true rest your soul longs for. I want to challenge you to journal, grab a friend to chat, or to just think about these three questions:

1. Where/when do you feel the most like yourself or alive?

2. Where/when do you feel the closest to God?

3. How can you worship God with your gifts or activities that you enjoy?

Now, this is not a ploy into getting you to “do more,” but to give you a more enriching life. God loves us so much that He doesn't want us to have cheap substitutes when He and He alone can give us the rest we need.

So what do we do now? How can we choose these activities that we love and have eternal value? How can we move past the initial desire of our flesh to choose what is easy? Look back at those three questions and determine how you can use one of the ways God has strategically created you and replace the ways you have been receiving momentary rest.

As you continue to journal through these questions or chat with a friend, remember God’s grace. He wants what's best for you; our flesh doesn't have to win. You are capable of receiving true rest through Jesus Christ.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

My name is Moriah Spencer and I’m an English Major at Nyack College. Ever since I was young, I have had a passion to create. Whether that be writing a story, painting, or decorating my room. God has given me a desire to share how He has changed my life and I am excited to take you along on my journey!