Is spending time with God the most relaxing thing you can do?

All of us will have our favourite ways of chilling out - coffee with friends, footy, a mindless game on your iphone, a tv show (however trashy). We all certainly need ways to turn off from the business of life. We all look for distractions hoping that taking our mind off things will reduce our stress.

What is your response to the idea that spending time with God is something (maybe the best thing) we can do to rest and relax? My guess is that it is not at the top of the list for many of us. This may be because:

When we normally spend time with God it is business - studying the bible, asking God for things, or thinking about discipleship, ministry or mission.
In practice we think of God more as Master than as Father.
We haven't had any experience of relaxing in God's presence
We haven't realized that God is the true source of all rest and relaxation
We think that God expects the same thing of us all the time no matter our current circumstance.

And yet a good parent will notice when a child is stressed or tired and will interact with them differently in response - they will sit with them on the couch, talk about enjoyable things, or be with them and help them get to sleep.

If good parents do that, how much more is our heavenly Father willing to do similar things. In Isaiah it says those that 'wait upon the Lord will renew their strength' - wait not work, study, or intercede. And in Psalm 23 it say - 'he makes me lie down in green pastures .... he restores my soul'.

Our Father is the best parent, who knows exactly what we need. So lets practice approaching God and asking Him to help us learn to rest and relax in his presence - to be in His presence with no agenda, and not task to complete. And lets learn to be open to his gentle suggestions - he might just be saying 'Go to bed and have a good night's rest'.

David Wanstall, 07/06/2012