How to Find Rest in God: A Review of Kelly Balarie’s New Book

It comes to me as I bend over the sink, tomato juice spattered on the windowpane, a heavy crate of big pinks ripening beside me on the countertop. It’s a subtle impression upon the innermost part of me, and it goes something like this: Don’t hurry through these tasks. These tasks are gifts, and divinity is threaded throughout them. Slow down, inhale slowly, and find rest in God while you do his work.

Find Rest in God

It’s the season of harvest here, which means there is much to do.

There are vegetables to tend to, transitions to navigate, and articles to write. If I’m not careful, I can get so caught up in the hustle that I forget all about slowing to watch for the hand of my Maker in the midst of it all.

We each have our variations of very full plates.

We come to the end of long days, crash into pillows, and if we’re not careful, we can find ourselves wishing away our lives in survival mode.

In my life, survival mode is the opposite of resting in God, and I imagine you can relate to the struggle to find rest in God. You have the best of intentions, and you start the day well enough, when it’s just you, your Jesus and Coffee mug, and your cute devotional book with the pink ribbon page-marker.

You position the mug and the book by the window, capture your moment with a photo to post on Instagram, and tell the world just how well you’re pulling off this faith thing. Sadly, in less than ten minutes, you feel about a million miles from faith-filled when the house is awakened with pattering feet, complaints about socks that don’t “feel right,” repeated questions about when the school bus will arrive, requests for bowls of sour cream and onion potato chips, and arguments over who gets to sit in the recliner today.

When It’s Hard to Find Rest in God

Or maybe it’s just me.

There are days when I feel alone in this struggle to find rest in God, but throughout the past days, the Lord has reassured me with a very simple source of solidarity: Kelly Balarie’s new book Rest Now.

I didn’t know how much I needed this book until I finally made the time to dig into Kelly’s words about finding rest. I’ve spent most of my time within these pages nodding in agreement. I’ve been gently convicted and deeply encouraged.

Kelly reminds me I’m not alone in my striving and yelling and frustration. God’s best for our lives is a way of living in a state of soul-rest, and Kelly points us to multiple lies that keep some of us from finding rest in God.

Let’s look at a few lies that are hindering our rest:

Lie #1 About Finding Rest in God: “I can only rest after everything is accomplished.”

When I stumbled into these words early in Rest Now, I put the book down and had an honest conversation with God. The need to accomplish everything in front of me is a very real struggle for me.

Do you find it hard to slow your rhythms and live present to your people if the world around you is unfolding in chaos?

I struggle to enjoy my family when there are toys strewn throughout every room, dishes in the sink, half-eaten meals on the table, and unfolded clothes in the laundry basket that happens to be perched on the kitchen countertop.

Through Kelly’s words, God is reminding me that my peace is not found in a clean, quiet house. He is my peace. Restfulness is not just a state of the body; it is a state of the soul. Truly resting in Christ can happen in the midst of my work – and in the midst of the messes in my life – because true rest is a state of the heart.

Truly resting in Christ can happen in the midst of my work – and in the midst of the messes in my life – because true rest is a state of the heart. #RestNow #AbideinChrist #Restfulheart Share on X

Lie #2: “When I succeed, then I can be at ease.”

Kelly draws our attention to this second lie that tells us we can only be at ease when we are successful. This lie deeply resonates with me. When there are areas of my life that leave me feeling like I haven’t successfully completed the calling at hand, I struggle to be at ease.

When all I want to do is finish the math flashcards with the little one (so that I can sweep the crumbly poplar leaves off the deck and feel like I’ve succeeded at completing every task on my list for the day), I miss moments of living fully-present to the people I love. I also miss an opportunity to lean into God and let him work in my heart on the journey toward the success I crave. (If you can relate, I’m sharing my story about trying to love my people better right here: How to Live with Less Grit and More Grace.)

Lie #3: “By doing it faster, by being a better multitasker, I can rest more quickly.”

About five months ago, I decided to give up multitasking. It seemed brilliant, despite the fact we were in the middle of a global pandemic. I was attempting to educate two children, keep an almost-one-year-old from eating their school papers, write words for the world, keep up with the house, cook, and do all the things you were probably trying to do as well. It was a rough patch, to say the least.

It might not have been the best time to decide I was done multitasking, but I made the decision anyway.

Looking back, I failed more than I succeeded in my quest, but the journey taught me something valuable: Multitasking steals the peace, joy, and rest from my soul. Instead of creating a lifestyle of leaning into God and finding rest in him, I create a lifestyle addicted to accomplishment and productivity (For more on this struggle to live with more gentleness, join me here).

I’m so glad Kelly pointed me to this lie about “doing it faster” and being a better multitasker. It reminds me not to pick up my inclination to accomplish five tasks at a time. It reminds me that true rest does not come from accomplishing more, but by staying in step with the One who knows exactly how much I can accomplish in one day and isn’t asking for more than this.

True rest does not come from accomplishing more, but by staying in step with the One who knows exactly how much I can accomplish in one day and isn’t asking for more than this. #RestNow #RestinGod #PeaceinGod Share on X

Step Into God’s Rest Today:

If my words and my struggles resonate with you, let me gently encourage you to carve out time in your schedule and read Rest Now. These words hold the power to turn your world upside down in the most beautiful way. You can buy Rest Now right here.