An Invitation to Rest By Stacie Tuttle

Over the past few months, I’ve been slowly reading through an incredible book called “Gently and

Lowly” by Dane Ortlund. Nestled in the pages of this book are profound truths that I’ve read, pondered,

written down, and tried to understand on a deeper level. I want the truths that have resonated with me

to sink down into the depths of my soul. I don’t know if I’ve ever read a book that describes the heart of

God so beautifully so I would love to share a little bit of it with you.

The author writes much about the beauty of the heart of Christ. Depending on your upbringing,

experiences, current relationship with God etc. – your views on the heart of Christ may be all over the

map! You may believe his heart is harsh, distant, uninterested, or even negligent. On the other hand,

you may believe his heart is warm, affectionate, forgiving, and full of love.

Wherever you find yourself – know that the heart of Christ toward you is what the Scriptures say it is –

not what your own mind and heart say. You see, we don’t get to define the heart of Christ. We get to

experience and know his heart when we take the time to get to know him. We pray, we read His word,

we read other books, we participate in a community of believers, to learn and to grow in the wisdom

and knowledge of who he really is.

Jesus describes his heart in Matthew 11:29 when he states, “I am gentle and lowly of heart.” Well, what

does that exactly mean? The author communicates to us that the term “gentle” can also mean humble.

The term “lowly” indicates the accessibility of Christ. In other words, he is approachable. That is why in

the prior verse he issues us an invitation, “Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give

you rest.” (Matt 11:28) So, who qualifies to approach Jesus? Everyone who is weary. Everyone who

carries burdens. I am fairly certain these qualifications encompass the whole of humanity! Who doesn’t

feel weary? Who doesn’t carry burdens? The beauty is we aren’t disqualified because of these things –

those are the very reasons he invites us in! His heart is for us, and he longs to give us rest. His rest is a

gift!

So, let’s ask ourselves – do we believe he is gently and lowly? Do we believe he offers rest? Do we

believe he is who he says he is? In our brokenness we cannot always see him clearly. We make him out

to be like us and assume he’s tired of us and our burdens. But Jesus is not like us. Ortlund reminds us of

another Scripture that states, “Whoever comes to me I will never cast out” (John 6:37). You see, Jesus

isn’t standing over us in a posture of condemnation but stands there waiting for us with arms wide

open.

We can run into or away from his embrace. We can run into or away from his invitation to rest.

In this fast-paced, noisy, hectic world don’t we all long for a place of rest? Don’t we long for peace and

relief from all the burdens we carry? Is it possible that Jesus with his gently and lowly heart is the very

place we should run to in order to find respite for our weary hearts? May I encourage you as this book

has encouraged me – to take a fresh look at the heart of Christ. To dive into the Scriptures to see who he

really is. To accept his invitation to approach him and lay down all the things – all the heavy burdens. To

enter his place of rest.

If you feel like this is something you need – then you may ask, but how? How do I enter his rest? God

has been challenging me lately to lay aside unnecessary distractions and spend uninterrupted time with

him. I admit, it’s not always easy, but in order to know the heart of Christ – I have to take time to be

with him just like I would with any other friend!

So, here’s what I try to do each morning before the day

gets away from me – I set aside my to-do list for a few moments and just talk to God. I find a quiet, cozy,

spot away from all the things that distract me. I grab a cup of coffee, a blanket, a notebook, pen, and a

bible and I read, pray, and sometimes journal. I read through the bible every year using a plan as well as

other devotional pieces. Then, I tell him my thoughts, fears, heartaches, joys, sorrows, dreams, or

whatever is on my heart.

I simply sit in his presence and let him fill my heart with his peace and his rest.

Some days, the time is sweet, and I feel like I learn so much and other days I’m just trying to stay awake!

The struggle is real, but the important thing is – it is something that I have to do – I can’t make it

through the days without this! His presence and his rest has become something I can’t live without.

So, I encourage you to take time to lay aside all your cares and burdens and get to know the heart of

Christ – his gently and lowly heart for you. I want you to experience this beautiful gift of peace and rest

that he has promised you too!

Excerpts from:

Ortlund, Dane (2020). Gentle and Lowly: The heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers. Crossway

Publishers.

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.

About the author:

Stacie Tuttle has been married to her husband, Tom, for 31 years. They've enjoyed lots of adventures over the years including five cross-country moves together! They currently reside in Minnesota the "land of 10,000 lakes" and are doing their best to visit and kayak on as many as they can! They are the parents of two adult children, one teenager, and are in-laws to a terrific son-in-law! Stacie works as an advocate and director of client services for a local resource center, is a current graduate student in the field of counseling/life coaching, and in her spare time loves hiking, kayaking, reading, music, and spending lots of time with her family!