Di Bassinga Diaries: Responsibility and Rest

I've been thinking a lot about responsibility recently. This is surely a byproduct of me stepping into a new season which brings with it a lot of new responsibilities and tasks; this piece isn't what's gathered my attention, though. I've been ready for responsibility (at least desiring it), since I got my driver's license. I've learned a lot since then, and I'll continue to learn and grow, but I've been waiting for that part. What I didn't anticipate was the tension that comes with it: specifically between responsibility and rest. I'm torn between wanting even more responsibilities, dreaming of a day where God would give me more to do, and wanting more rest, tired and wishing to just take it easy. If you're caught in this same position, I'd encourage you with this: I think this tension is natural, necessary, and beneficial. Let me break down why.

Responsibility is Great...

I'm a firm believer that (seemingly) contradicting ideas aren't always at odds with one another, rather that they bring a necessary push and pull—however uncomfortable that might feel. I come from a family of believers who are passionate about business, finance, entrepreneurship, things in that sphere; each of us for different reasons, but the passion is there nonetheless. When I first came to Christ, I worried that I couldn't be passionate about both God and business. I worried that my ambition would get in the way of God's will (a laughable concept now, one that I'll get to another time). I eventually came around to the notion that God could use this desire of entrepreneurship, so I found myself excitedly jumping at opportunities that I thought would be good for me, I can do these things for God's glory! This is about the time that I started this blog. That high didn't last forever, though. I was thrown into an incredibly busy school year, one filled with lots of change and increasing responsibility, and I burnt out.

I'll gladly tell the full story another time, because it's led to me this point now. I'm stepping into another season of increased responsibility, and I'll be stepping into many of these for the foreseeable future. I've found, even in small things that responsibility is not an easy thing to bear (shocker). I'm often tempted to pick my phone up and scroll or to turn the TV on and watch a bunch of videos about business, or real estate, or prayer (and I don't always end up in those places) rather than putting a pen to paper; I'm often distracted, putting things off. It's almost as though the devil is fighting his hardest to keep me from productivity. The thought or feeling I've struggled with the most is that the responsibilities will only grow as I do—there's no going back. The thought can be stressful sometimes, but I find this to be case mostly when I ignore a few key things about God, rest, and our design.

…And Rest is Necessary

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

This partnership between rest and responsibility has been there since the very beginning of mankind. We see two things appear almost simultaneously: 1) We were created in God's image on the sixth day, given a task (be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it), and 2) God rests on the seventh and blesses a day of rest. God gave us work and immediately taught us that rest is important and blessed. The cooperative nature of rest and responsibility is an interesting one, but what exactly does it look like for us?

I've found that it's as simple as this: take God with you wherever you go. Better yet, don't go where God isn't with you. I take this idea from Proverbs 3:6 which says, "In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths." That God will "make our paths straight" is that we don't have to. We don't have to control the outcome, we can't though we try. We don't have to monitor every single detail with the pressure that things fall apart if we don't; no, instead we take things one step at a time and while we step we check in with God (i.e., we pray). I believe that responsibilities begin to weigh us down when the outcome becomes more important than the action (like putting a cart before a horse).

God tells us many times that we are not to worry or doubt or to work aimlessly and endlessly, but rather we are to rest in Him constantly, to pray without ceasing, and to do all for the glory of Christ. I've found that the most restful way to work, to relate to our responsibilities, is prayerfully. If we want to move forward, we have to release control. We have to let go of the end, because God is the one with the final say; and if that's the case, then it's in our best interest to stay connected to Him as tightly as we can. Our responsibilities will only grow as we do. As we learn more, as we meet more people, as we develop wisdom and gather experiences, we inherently grow in responsibility; and the best part is that we're designed for it! But our work is best done through rest in Christ, not without it. I'll elaborate on this soon, but for now...

Be blessed.

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Verses to Look Back On:

Genesis 1:26-2:3

Exodus 33:12-16

Psalm 37:1-7

Proverbs 3:5-6, 16:1-9

Matthew 11:25-30

Hebrews 4:1-13