"But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or disaster. I intend, therefore, to build a temple for the Name of the Lord my God, as the Lord told my father David, when he said, ‘Your son whom I will put on the throne in your place will build the temple for my Name.’" (NIV)

I remember the moment distinctly: I was sitting in a restaurant with someone I've looked up to for a long time, bemoaning the tension I have always felt between productivity and rest. We were both teachers at the time, and we agreed that the end of the week can feel like a collapse into rest - never mind the towers of grading and planning that still wait expectantly each weekend. But she shared with me a mental shift that she had been trying to pursue - what if, instead of resting from all the work I have done in the previous week, what if instead I rested toward what was to come? What if I took time to pause and refresh my soul in the Lord, not because I was so exhausted that I needed to fill up the gas tank, but because I knew he had big things for me in the coming week, and I wanted to be physically, mentally, and spiritually prepared for that good work.  

‍

We see this perspective reflected in King Solomon's early years, too, before the distractions of women and wealth trump his pursuit of wisdom. At the beginning of his reign, Solomon knows he's been given a big assignment: to build the Lord a permanent temple in Jerusalem. And he knows that this work is only possible because of the rest the Lord has granted him. Here's what he says in verses 4 and 5 of 1 Kings 5: "But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or disaster. I intend, therefore, to build a temple for the Name of the Lord my God, as the Lord told my father David, when he said, ‘Your son whom I will put on the throne in your place will build the temple for my Name.’"

‍

This turn of phrase, "rest on every side," was used often in the Old Testament writings to signify national peace and a ceasing of war for Israel. Putting myself in Solomon's shoes, I find it remarkable that he doesn't take this season of rest to kick up his feet and relax. His perspective on this time is different. Because of the rest God has given, he finds himself prepared and energized to begin this weighty undertaking.

What if we viewed our rest as wise Solomon and my wise mentor did? What if we rested to what's next rather than from what's behind us? How might that change our mindset toward rest?  

‍

As I've tried to also pursue this mental shift over the years since that conversation, I've found it dramatically changes how I approach times of rest: Where rest at the end of a hard week never felt like enough, taking a day or chunk of time to rest toward what's coming is much more hopeful. Instead of licking wounds from the previous week and trying to recover, when I put on this mindset, I get to dream and anticipate and prepare for what's coming with God.  

‍

I'll confess: I forget this mental shift often. But I keep coming back to it, and I encourage you toward it today, because in it I see the potential to transform the moments of rest God gives us from brief reprieves from the grind into a real gift to experience with him.

God, I know you give good gifts. Would you help me see my rest this week as so much more than a break from the challenges, but an opportunity to be filled up with you so I can overflow into the week to come. This is such a hard shift, God, but I trust you with this! By your Spirit, make it real for me this week. In Jesus' name, amen.