2013 Word of the Year

I know that February is about halfway over and I haven't written about my word for this year but I finally have the opportunity and the brain power to sit down and focus on it. The  word this year appears to be "REST." Life is so busy and my brain is one of those that never seems to shut down. As a single mom who is attempting to figure out my future career goals and am still in the process of working with last year's word, resting is not always high on my priority list. When I began to ask God what He wanted my word to be this year, the word "REST" began popping up all over the place and then I noticed how difficult that is for me to do.

When I researched "rest" in Scripture, I found numerous references. The first one is found in Genesis 2:2, in which God rested on the seventh day, after creating the universe. In Exodus 20, we find what is known as the 10 Commandments. We are told to follow God's example by resting on the Sabbath day. Deuteronomy 33:12 says, "Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders." Matthew 11:28-29 instructs us to "come to me all you who are weary and heavy 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 in your souls."

According to Merriam-Webster, the word "rest" is defined as "to cease from action or motion; refrain from motion or exertion; to be free from anxiety or disturbance; to sit or lie fixed or supported; to remain confident; to be based or founded." 

In further pondering the word, "rest," I though of the phrase "be still." Here are a few Scripture passages in which we are encouraged to rest or be still. In Exodus 12:12, Moses tells the Israelites that "the Lord will fight for you. You need only to be still." Psalm 37:7 instructs us to "be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him." Psalm 46:10 says to "be still and know that I am God."

So it sounds like, in given the word "rest," I am being instructed to not push my way through life. I am not a person who enjoys waiting for things to happen. I tend to plug through, make myself heard, and attempt to open doors that I feel I am supposed to go through. I don't tend to wait patiently. Hold on a minute. The word was rest, not wait. Rest. Be still. Let God do the work that needs to be done and allow Him to lead the way.

There are a few places in my life where learning to be still and rest will be beneficial. What all does it entail? What is God trying to teach me? I really don't know at this point. I do know that, if I learn as much from resting as I have from accepting, 2013 may be a challenging year. Would you be willing to rest with me?