Reliant Rest: Trusting in the Victory of Christ

“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him” (Psalm 37:7).

As I was reading today's Abide Above devotional by Miles Stanford, I was reminded of the days when I would ask the Lord, What does it mean to truly rest in You? For most of my Christian friends, the idea of resting in Christ conjured images of passivity: Kick back, lay your problems at the foot of the cross, and let Jesus handle it. But I’ve learned through Scripture that nothing could be further from the truth. Resting in Christ is one of the most active, intentional acts of faith we can practice. It’s not idleness; it’s complete and utter reliance—a confident trust in the One who works all things for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28).

Rest That is Anything But Passive

Stanford’s devotional insight reminds us: The Lord Jesus, who is our life, never was, nor ever is, passive. Jesus lived in complete dependence on His Father, doing only what He saw His Father doing (John 5:19). This wasn’t inaction—it was perfect harmony and trust—a reliance that bore the fruit of obedience, power, and love.

When we rest in Christ, we follow His example. Our rest is not the absence of effort but the absence of striving. Pause for a moment—do you see the difference? It’s crucial to grasp this distinction. Resting in Christ means leaning into His finished work and allowing Him to live His victorious life in and through us. He uses us—like a hand filling a glove (an imperfect analogy)—to do what only He can do, accomplishing what we could never do in our own strength.

Seeing Through the Father’s Eyes

One phrase from the devotional struck me deeply: Faith looks at things as the Father looks at them. This is, I’ve found, one of the secrets of living the victorious Christian life.

How often do we allow our circumstances, emotions, or even failures to dictate our view of life? Yet, the Father sees every victory in Christ as already accomplished. Think about that for a moment. Selah. There is no doubt—no shadow of uncertainty—in His mind about the outcome.

Faith invites us to see through His eyes, to adopt His thoughts as our own. This is why He has given us His Word—not merely as a set of instructions but as a window into His heart and mind. Through Scripture and fellowship with Him, we learn to think His thoughts, to feel what He feels, and to walk in His truth.

Peace That Doesn’t Depend on Us

One of the greatest lies we believe is that our peace depends on our performance. In fact, this is a lie out of the pits of hell. Oh, how I was stuck in that rut for two decades. Like Stanford, I would cry, How am I to know what is the Father’s mind towards me? Is it by judging of it from what I find in myself? And God’s answer is always the same: Surely not!

If we try to gauge God’s approval based on how well we perform, we lose sight of the beauty and simplicity of grace entirely. The Father’s view of us is rooted in Christ, not in ourselves. His rest isn’t something we achieve; it’s something we receive. It is, quite simply, a gift. In fact, it’s our birthright in Christ. Enter in to it, brothers and sisters. It’s already yours.

Jesus has already “passed into the heavens, now to appear in the presence of the Father for us” (Hebrews 9:24). This means the basis for our peace is not our merit but His unchanging intercession. When we rest in Him, we rest in a work that is finished, a victory that is secure.

Entering His Rest

The writer of Hebrews exhorts us: “Let us labor, therefore, to enter into that rest” (Hebrews 4:11). At first glance, this seems astonishingly contradictory. How are we to “labor” to enter rest? The answer lies in where we place our faith. More specifically, in Whom we place our faith.

Resting in Christ requires us to intentionally surrender our striving to produce results through our own efforts. It’s not about working harder; it’s about trusting deeper. When we stop striving to earn God’s favor or solve life’s challenges in our own strength, we open the door for His peace to fill our hearts.

A Personal Invitation

This kind of rest is transformative. It frees us from the tyranny of self-effort and anchors us in the unwavering faithfulness of God. As we learn to rely on Christ, His strength becomes our strength, His peace becomes our peace, His joy becomes our joy, and His victory becomes our own.

Where in your life are you striving instead of resting? For me, it was every single area of my life. Now, quite frankly, I strive in no area of my life. Why? Because whenever I take control, the result is poor. I have 59 years of proof for that. But what about you? What would it look like to trust Christ fully in the areas where you struggle to relinquish control?

A Prayer of Rest

Lord, thank You for the invitation to rest in You. Thank You that Your victory is complete and that we are included in it through our union with Christ. Teach us to see life through Your eyes, to trust Your heart’s intentions, and to walk in the peace that comes from relying on You.

Lord, Your Word makes it clear that You’ve given us the ability to choose to surrender our striving and fully embrace the rest You have promised. Thank You for Your faithfulness, Your grace, and the privilege of living in the abundance of Your presence. To You be all glory, now and forever. Amen.

Closing Encouragement

Brothers and sisters in Christ, rest in Him today, trusting not in your strength but in His infinite love, goodness, and grace. It’s not about what you can do; it’s about what He has already done. Please, trust Him with your very life. 🌿

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Getting to Know the Infinite God: Building the Foundation for Trust by Exploring A.W. Tozer's The Knowledge of the Holy