The fourth Sunday of this 2019 Advent season is here. We’ve journeyed through the week of Hope, of Faith and of Joy. Now we enter the final week of preparation for the celebration of Christ’s first coming and the readiness for His second coming.

This week the theme is

What represents peace to you? Absence of conflict? Quiet and solitude?

Looking at Jesus, how He lived His life here, the rhythms He established and practiced all tell me peace is found in rest. Rest is crucial for our entire self: mind, heart and body. If rest is so valuable, why are we so prone to neglect it?

Honestly it all comes down to mindset. In the language of Brene Brown, what is the story you tell yourself about the value of rest? What does your calendar say of this value? What needs to change for you to be able to experience the value of rest?

On this fourth Sunday of Advent, may I invite you to find a few quiet moments to read the following passage Matthew 11:28-30. Here it is in The Message:

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.

Action step: As you go through this day, pay attention to how much time you actually feel at rest.