Have you ever wondered if the Christian life is supposed to feel like rest or like work? The Bible seems to say both. Scripture tells us to rest in Christ, to live in His peace, and reminds us that His yoke is easy and His burden light. Yet other passages call us to press forward with effort and perseverance, to “work out our salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12), and to run the race set before us.
Even in Philippians 3, Paul holds these two realities together. On one hand, he lays aside his striving to earn righteousness, resting in the finished work of Christ. On the other hand, he declares, “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me” (Philippians 3:12). In Christ, Paul has found deep peace and rest, yet in that very peace he discovers the doorway into a life of pursuit, longing, and growth.
The life of faith, then, is neither anxious religious performance nor passive complacency. Grace brings us into peace with God, but that peace stirs a hunger to know Him more, to become like Him, and to live for Him in the world. Rest is our foundation and from that rest flows the energy and desire to pursue the fullness of life with God.
Like being in a sailboat, the stillness of the boat on the water represents the peace of knowing we are secure in Christ and carried by Him. Too often, though, we grab the oars and row as hard as we can—trying to prove ourselves or make progress by sheer effort. It leaves us exhausted and discouraged, because that was never how God meant for us to move forward. The Christian life is not powered by frantic rowing but by lifting our sails to catch the wind of God’s Spirit. Our role is not to manufacture the wind, but to trust, position ourselves, and hoist the sails through prayer, Scripture, and learning to listen for His voice.Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You that in You we find perfect rest and peace. Keep us from striving to earn what You have already given. At the same time, stir in us a holy hunger to know You more deeply and to walk in the fullness of Your life. Let Your Spirit fill our sails so that our peace with You becomes the power that moves us forward. Amen.