Rest in Christ.

Believer, rest in Christ is not inactivity. Rest in Christ is Holy Spirit-directed activity. The Lord our Shepherd does it all, even our getting up from our beds in the morning, brushing our teeth and deciding on the type of moisturiser to use on our hair:) He says to us in Luke 12:6-7:

"Aren’t five sparrows sold for two pennies? But God does not forget even one of them. 7 In fact, He even counts every hair on your head! So don’t be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows."

If God takes the time to number each hair on your head, hair that you cut off and some of which break off whenever you run a comb through it, what do you think He's doing with every detail of your life! Even your hair cream matters to Him because it affects your hair that He numbers:) He cares about every tiny detail of you. For the believer, it's all of Christ and none of self. But most of the time, His blessings in our lives are so supernaturally natural that we think we did good all by ourselves.

Our daily life isn't peripheral to Christ. Christ is the centre of everything. He holds everything together, moreso for all who believe. Colossians 1:17 says "He existed before all things, and all things are held together in Him."

The Good News Translation says "Christ existed before all things, and in union with Him all things have their proper place."

"Good things" that are done outside Christ aka "play your own part since God has done His part" never have their proper place. This is why some "good deeds" result in disaster, like a person dying in a crash involving a car that was given to him as part of a well-deserved promotion package; or even paying someone a compliment and the one that you complimented takes offence at your compliment.

Some people have told me things like "So Jesus will come down from heaven and write that article for your client or solve your problems. Prayer is not enough. You still have to play your part by writing it." But even when I'm hunched down for hours before my laptop, back aching and eyes sore from writing technical pieces on subjects that I know nothing about, I know it's not me but Christ in me. No longer I that live. And the outcome is always amazing!

As believers, we are never separate from Christ. The same "True Vine" life that flows in Him is constantly flowing in us and nourishing us. We are His branches and can do nothing without Him. Things fall out of "their proper place" when we put aside our union with Him and think that we can do some things apart from Him or "play our part," especially in a bid to earn His blessings.

It's like a Christian who builds a house and hires a security company to watch over his family who live in it. Psalm 127:1 says-

"Unless the Lord builds the house,

They labor in vain who build it;

Unless the Lord guards the city,

The watchman keeps awake in vain."

All of our efforts would be in vain if Christ is not the One doing.

But this is not to say that the believer who rests in Christ idly waits for an angel to come and stack blocks into a house for him or waits for an angel to hire a security firm to watch over his family where security threats abound. In Christ, the thoughts of the Holy Spirit become our action. God works in us both to will and to do for His good pleasure so we get to work out our salvation (see Philippians 2:13.) "In union with Him all things have their proper place." Depending on the leading of the Holy Spirit that dwells in the Christian, he might or might not hire security. The right/commonsense thing to do is not always the Spirit thing to do. If God works in him the desire and the ability to hire a security firm, he will do so and it will be one that will not end up being the thief that he is trying to keep away from his family.

You know that you are led by the Spirit when you are unable to boast or take credit for your good decisions and successes. You give all the credit to the Lord our Shepherd who leads us on the path of righteousness and take no credit for your ability to "play your part."

Rest in Christ is not inactivity. Rest in Christ is Holy Spirit-directed activity. This helps us understand what Paul meant when he said in Galatians 2:20-

"My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

How can we be the ones doing when "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me"? How can we "play our part" apart from Christ? He gives wisdom for living. He leads us on the path of righteousness and everything else in Psalm 23. He does it all.

In Christ, the thoughts of the Holy Spirit become our action. We get to work out our salvation (from security threats, fear, robbers, depression, economic woes, lack, silly mistakes, sickness, acts of sin and whatever bugs us) because God works in us both to will and to do for His good pleasure- Philippians 2:12-13:

"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."

Concerning "as you have always obeyed," bear in mind that obedience under the New Covenant is believing in our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the work that God wants us to do. John 6- 28 "They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?” 29 Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one He has sent.”"

Christ does it all. He says in John 6:43-46: "...You’re not in charge here. The Father who sent Me is in charge. He draws people to Me—that’s the only way you’ll ever come. Only then do I do my work, putting people together, setting them on their feet, ready for the End..."

Christ does it all.

God works in us both to will and to do for His good pleasure. His good pleasure is to give you the Kingdom: “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Luke 12:32

His good pleasure is to make an honest person of you: "The Eternal detests a crooked heart and a warped mind, but He takes great pleasure in those who follow the right way." Proverbs 11:1.

Rest in Christ is not inactivity. Rest in Christ is Holy Spirit-directed activity. Live life conscious of Him doing it all in you, through you and for you; even as you run that comb through your hair, be conscious that it's not you doing but Christ in you. How much more the more important issues of life that concern you!