7 Ways to Enter into God’s Rest

When you enter into God’s rest, you position yourself to receive all He has promised, including your healing.

Today we consider how the battle you are in belongs to the Lord (what this actually means!) and then I’ll share 7 ways that can help you enter into God’s rest.

Joseph Prince uses the analogy of a boxing match. The champion wins the battle and is awarded a trophy. He then goes home and gives the trophy to his wife.

He did all the work but she benefits

Jesus suffered on the cross. He did all the ‘battling’ and he gives us the ‘trophy’ of (salvation) and healing. The battle therefore is not yours but the Lord’s.

The number of people I know who say ‘I’m fighting cancer……I’m battling a serious illness….’ In fact, the way we ‘fight’ in the Bible is by standing our ground and allowing God to fight for us.

As Christians, we don’t fight disease, we fight the good fight of faith.

THE BATTLE ISN’T YOURS IT’S GOD’S

In all honesty, even the word ‘fight’ has exhausting connotations. ‘Wrestle…grapple…oppose…challenge…’ Such fighting imagery causes me to feel stressed in my system.

This is likely to release cortisol, or adrenaline into your bloodstream, keeping you in a stressed state, and hindering your healing.

I hear well-meaning Christians say to someone who is ill ‘’ You need to fight this illness’…’You need to be strong and overcome….’ not realising the stressful impact this has on someone’s physiology.

Words are powerful. See LIFE AND DEATH IS IN THE POWER OF THE TONGUE and what they’re saying isn’t right (in my opinion).

Has anyone said this to you? Then let me tell you ‘You do not need to fight this illness, you need to enter into God’s rest.

IT IS FINISHED

Our position is one of rest

Before Jesus died, the Israelites had to work for blessings. They had to earn them. Even committed Jews today still believe this.

But Jesus (thankfully) has rescued us from all this toil.

Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. Heb 4 v 11

The world around us will tell us we’re not healed, or that we’re not good enough or obedient enough.

We then try to be these things causing an unrest in our bodies. We’re striving to be something we already are. We cannot add to the finished work.

I explain this more fully in IS IT ALWAYS GOD’S WILL TO HEAL?

HOW TO ENTER INTO GOD’S REST

Being in peace is a powerful place. This is what increases our capacity to receive healing.

1. NOTICE GLIMMERS

Often our troubles steal our attention. But the more we think or talk about illness, the more it stays alive. ‘What we resist, persists!’

I’ve learned that the key is to acknowledge the darkness but focus on the light.

My friend and I were sitting on the beach in Blackpool. It was August but being England, that’s no guarantee of sunshine. It was really quite cold!

But as I looked at the sea and the horizon, I felt a sense of pleasure. The sea is soothing and calm to me, one of my favourite places.

Was I still freezing? Yes! But I attended to the blessings around me.

You may be suffering right now and perhaps the doctors aren’t hopeful. But there are still glimmers around you.

You’re not just retraining your brain and creating new neural pathways, you’re also learning resilience and regulating your nervous system.

Even mind-body doctors and mental health professionals stress the importance of gratitude. You’re noticing what’s right, not what’s wrong.

This is a very natural way I believe we enter into God’s rest.

2. FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH

The Hebrew word ‘lechem’ means both to fight and to feed proving that feeding on the Word of God is how we fight.

This focuses our eyes on things above, on Jesus and His loveliness as well as causing us to increase our faith.

You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.

Is 26:3

In order to enter into God’s rest, we need peace. We find that by allowing His peace to consume us in the midst of our storm.

Feeding on the Word of God is the pathway to this peace. Be expectant.

He has a word for you, love for you, peace for you, wholeness for you…..our job is to sit at his feet and savour His Words. Effortless!

See THE 2 STEP FORMULA FOR HEALING IN THE WORD OF GOD

3. BE OUTCOME INDEPENDENT

Our eyes are on Jesus, not what He can do for us. I’ll be honest, when I was first unwell, I was so desperate for healing, I just couldn’t put God before the healing

Know that if this is where you’re at, that’s ok right now. Just keep on putting one foot in front of the other. God works in you to get you to where you need to be.

Eventually, you’ll distinguish between the love and beauty of who God is from whatever your needs are.

Healing is not the goal. Jesus is the prize. In my experience, if you keep focusing on His love, you’ll want Him even without healing.

If you’re so dependent on healing being the outcome, this can cause pressure, stress, and a sense of urgency which is the opposite of peace.

4. BE AWARE OF THOUGHTS

If our job is to enter into God’s rest, then becoming aware of thoughts that cause unrest is essential.

Those who resist the devil will see him flee.

Jas 4:7

Thoughts of anger… guilt…bitterness… comparison… jealousy…worry… and so on will steal your peace and dilute your faith.

(Image: Rebekah Ballagh. Journey to Wellness)

When we allow them to dominate, we’re engaging in the battle with the wrong weapons.

See DO NOT BE CONFORMED. 4 AREAS THAT KEEP YOU STUCK

Often we hear the term ‘inner healing’ but I don’t think this exists in the Bible. The Bible does refer to the renewing of the mind though.

5. KNOW YOUR TRIGGERS

We all get triggered! You know, those moments when all is well, then all of a sudden you hear or see something and then feel an activation in your body that throws you off course.

It could even be a certain time of the year that you find particularly distressing, or an event, a person or a particular behaviour.

It could even be something you face each day, like traffic jams, being late, a messy kitchen…..

It’s never a good idea to avoid your triggers in my experience. Because for some, this would make them hermits.

But understanding what activates us will increase our self awareness.

When we have a greater understanding of our responses or reactions to certain stressers, we can then prayerfully decide on how to lessen the charge.

Do you need to put in extra boundaries with people or have a difficult conversation with someone? What about giving yourself extra time to do tasks, or giving yourself grace when you mess up…..

Is there a trauma from long ago, that continues to cause distress. If so, do you need some type of prayer ministry or prayer for emotional healing? Perhaps you need to see a counsellor?

Can you invite God into the situation?

6. LISTEN TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

One of the reasons, I believe, that healing is so difficult to teach, is that everyone’s journey is so unique.

What God says to me, is not the same as what He may be saying to you.

When we develop our own walk with the Lord, we hear His voice. He shows us the next step on our journey or what you need right now.

(Image: Rebekah Ballagh. Journey into Wellness)

This way you’ll not be swayed or stressed out by the opinions of those around you.

You are the expert on you and you are the expert on what God is saying to you about your journey.

7. DEVELOP SELF COMPASSION

Are you your own worst enemy? Do you offer kindness and understanding to those around you but totally abuse yourself with your internal chatter?

Self-criticism is the brain’s misguided way of keeping us safe. It’s how we’ve survived. If we condemn or attack ourselves, then we are less likely to feel the hurt of done to us by others.

Putting pressure on ourselves in this way is exhausting. It pushes our nervous system into a state of fight/flight.

The anti-dote is to start being a little bit kinder to ourselves. How would you be with a friend or loved one?

Learning to listen to the ‘nuturing parent’ voice within takes time and practise and I’m still growing in this area. I’m learning to be my own empathic witness

What do you feel the Holy Spirit is saying to you today? Which of these 7 ways will help you enter into peace?

Just think the difference it would make to your healing journey if you could enter into God’s rest on a daily basis.

“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.” 2 Cor 10:4.

We are more than conquerors. Jesus has already fought and won against the enemy and now He hands over the provision of healing to us.

The battle isn’t yours, it’s God’s. We may only be still and know that He is God.

May this support you today.

Lorna x