 “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten” (Joel 2:25 ESV).
My childhood was less than ideal. I experienced multiple forms of abuse, my father was never present, and my mother left us. Later, after reconciling with my mother, she died from cancer. That is an extremely quick insight into what life looked like for a very young Jordon Arnold. Because of the trauma I experienced as a kid, I had decided I was never going to get married, and I would certainly never have kids. It wasn’t because I didn’t desire to be a wife and a mom. But I was afraid.  Does the grace of God have an effect in your life?
The apostle Paul writes, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:8-10 ESV).  Last week, I wrote about grace-empowered work. But we also need to understand grace-empowered rest.
Most of us realize our need for help when it comes to work. But we often assume rest comes more easily. And that’s likely true if we understand rest in the context of passages like Proverbs 24:30-34.  Work isn’t a curse to be avoided; rather, it’s a call to be embraced. We serve a God who works (see Gen. 2:1-2). And we serve a God who calls us to work (see Gen. 1:28; 2:15). I expounded on this in a column I wrote a couple of months ago called “A theology of work.”
But this week, I want to tackle the subject of work from a different angle. Once we understand the call to work, we need to understand the power by which we’re able to work as God desires.  My wife and I are four months away from holding our baby boy, Dayton Emmaus. Then, a year or so from now, he’ll be holding our hands as he tries to balance himself and walk for the very first time. And our boy will stumble. He’ll fall down, unable to stand. But the calm hands of someone he trusts will pick him up and steady him again.
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