One of life’s ironies is the stress of vacation. The word itself means release from activity or occupation, and yet vacations are rarely free from either of those. Instead, we simply channel our energies in different directions. This is confirmed by those who, returning from vacation, often admit to needing another vacation. They come home exhausted, broke, and longing for a nap.

There is a huge difference between vacation and true rest. Rest requires cessation from all activity and labor, and our current culture makes finding it a constant struggle. Human life becomes the “rat race” when people get caught up in the endless pursuit of possessions, pleasure, position or power. It’s hardly escaped by taking a week off in a different location.

Jesus connected rest with meekness, or perhaps a better word, humility. He began the Beatitudes saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3) The word “blessed” meaning peace of mind, true happiness, a calmness of spirit unaffected by outward circumstances. To find this rest, Jesus invites us to come and learn of him, taking his yoke upon ourselves. (Matthew 11:28-29)

If you took the Beatitudes and turned them wrong-side out, you would find an apt description of life in this world. Instead of meekness there’s pride and arrogance; instead of mourners there’s hedonists and partiers, instead of hungering after righteousness there’s the pursuit of pleasure; instead of mercy we find cruelty; instead of purity in heart there’s vile imaginings and selfish motives; and instead of peace-making there’s division and conflict.

The reason rest eludes modern society is simple; they’re looking for it in all the wrong places. Pride and pretense impose a burden on the heart that makes finding rest impossible. Pleasure seeking leads to disappointment and the fear of being exposed constantly invades the mind of those without Christ. This is why the Bible says, “There is no peace for the wicked.” (Isaiah 48:22)

Pride and pretense impose a burden on the heart that makes finding rest impossible.

Summer is vacation time, but let us not be fooled into thinking true rest can be found on a beach or beside a mountain lake. It can only be found in Jesus, and the first step toward him is humility. The humble man no longer fears exposure or what others think of him for he has accepted God’s estimate of himself. He understands his weakness but relies on his yokefellow Jesus.

The burdens of this life drop at his feet the moment we surrender ourselves to him. Only then will we find release from the tyranny of the rat race. The soul rest Jesus spoke of happens when you discover that in Christ you are more valuable than angels in the sight of God. I pray that you will know this blessedness because it’s far better than any vacation.