Gn 2:3

“Our hearts are restless till they find their rest in Thee.” Never before have so many of us felt the restlessness Augustine described with this famous sentence. But what is the solution to our lack of true rest? As this three day plan will show, the solution partially lies in viewing the ancient practice of Sabbath through a different lens—through the lens of “Thee”—Jesus—our ultimate source of peace.

Study after study tells us that rest is critical for our physical, mental, and emotional health. Rest matters so much to God that He even made it one of His commandments. We know we should rest—so why don’t we? In this simple 5-day Plan, we’ll look at why, when, where, and how we should rest, and even with whom.

As New York pastor Rich Villodas defines it, a deeply formed life is a life marked by integration, intersection, intertwining, and interweaving, holding together multiple layers of spiritual formation. This kind of life calls us to be people who cultivate lives with God in prayer, move toward reconciliation, work for justice, have healthy inner lives, and see our bodies and sexuality as gifts to steward.

With so many responsibilities and distractions vying for our attention, too many of us have built unhealthy cycles of rest. As a result, we burn ourselves out, striving and straining against God's intent for our lives. In this plan, we are called to the intentional work of self-examination, helping us to move toward a purposeful and sustainable life with Jesus.