Recently, a loved one died, and it took a toll on my spiritual and physical life. My mind struggled to accept this new reality; my body wouldn't fall asleep until 3 a.m., and I ran on constant adrenaline. In seasons of grief, our need for rest is especially apparent.
Grief reminds me how little control we have over our circumstances. In seasons like these, rest is hard to come by. Perhaps you also have been overwhelmed with the demands of daily life—keeping up with groceries, fitness, work, and much more. Maybe you’re surrounded by noise, and it’s hard to get away. Many vocations, including emergency personnel, military, and parents of little ones, have limited opportunities to take a break. With the responsibilities of life, it’s hard to step away and find a moment’s peace.
Although we live in a busy society, God invites us to come away and rest. Throughout the Bible, we see Jesus withdraw from the crowd to spend time with his Father. Although he is fully God, Jesus was fully man, too, which means he had limits like ours. He was intentional about his priorities. And we can learn from him and follow his example.
In Mark 6, we see the rigors of his life: the death of his cousin, John the Baptist, and the difficulty of ministry. I can resonate with these hardships.
A Look into the Ministry of Christ
Jesus had been teaching, surrounded by crowds approaching him, and without even a chance to eat when his disciples returned to him to tell him “all that they had done and taught” (Mark 6:30). Instead of insisting that they continue working, he told the disciples, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6:31). He invited the disciples to rest with him.
Although Jesus was both God and man, the toll of ministry and evangelism must have been exhausting, and at this point in Mark, we know that his cousin John the Baptist has been murdered at the hands of King Herod. Scripture doesn’t explicitly describe Jesus’s pain, but the loss of his cousin adds a sobering context to this chapter.
But the crowd didn’t just wave goodbye; many people recognized the disciples and ran to meet them.
Even as Jesus sought rest, he had compassion on the people, because “They were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things” (Mark 6:34). Jesus saw the needs of the hungry, tired crowds as well! He didn’t just leave them there; he provided them with fish and bread.
Afterwards, the disciples went on a boat to Bethsaida, while Jesus dismissed the crowd and went to a mountainside to pray. Like he did as a boy on his first trip to the temple in Jerusalem when he told his worried parents, “Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?” (Luke 2:49), Jesus continually comes before the presence of God the Father.
Even in our hectic life, we can slip away to a quiet room and talk to God. We can pray to him during a commute, lunch break, or early morning, and spend time in his word.
An Invitation for the Heavy Laden
Throughout the Bible we see a pattern of rest. From the very beginning in Genesis, we see God resting after the six days of creation (Gen. 2:2). This is the pattern he gives us for human flourishing—to rest one day in seven!
In the story in Mark 6, Jesus was concerned for his disciples' rest and personally takes pity on the crowd, forgoing his own rest to tend to the crowd’s needs. We can take comfort knowing God takes care of us and doesn’t expect burnout.
There is a tension in this story between what Jesus expects of his disciples as they minister in his name, and what he does himself during his mission to save his lost sheep throughout his earthly ministry. He invites you to rest; he will also himself do what we cannot.
In Matthew 11:28, Jesus invites everyone to “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Do we take time to come to Jesus with our problems instead of ourselves?
Grace for the Restless
Especially during times of grief and busyness, we can learn from Jesus’s example and step away from the chaos. Often in ministry, like parenting, caregiving, or the rigors of work or education, the burdens are heavy, with people constantly needing more. We are not called to carry everything in our own strength.
But this spiritual practice is not the law. There’s grace for this season. Rest is a gift, not a performance metric. We do not need to maintain a perfect routine. God isn’t breathing down our neck waiting for us to rest.
Even if we can only slip away for a few minutes, we can trust that God can use that time to refresh our souls. Where does this rest come from? Exodus 33:14 says, “My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.” Rest is found in God’s presence. Even if we’re discipling little children or working long hours, we can rest knowing God is upholding us in his strength.
God gives us ordinary means of grace like church and worship to help us rest. A few weeks after my loved one died, we sang Hymn of Heaven at church. It was an encouraging reminder that one day we won’t suffer from fatigue or grief. God will wipe away every tear from our eye and we can enjoy eternal rest.
Ultimately, our hope isn’t in habits of rest, but in the God who maintains us.
