The Invitation No One Else Offers
As a busy professional, finding rest in Lagos as a Christian, it is not as difficult as people think it is. You know how it feels when you are stuck in a bus you just boarded headed to the Island at 6:30am because you woke up late to prepare for work because you arrived home late because you had deadlines to meet it so you stayed back for a few more hours. You are stuck in rush hour traffic, where drivers are impatient, a lot of horns blaring and your bus is moving at a slow pace.
You quickly remember to send a message to your manager to inform him that you are running late but the issue is that you are unsure of when you would arrive at the office. So you debate internally if you should give a 30 minute buffer hoping you would have arrived by then or even one hour buffer. We all know how unpredictable Lagos traffic can be.
In all of these problems we face everyday as Nigeria, knowing that you are not promised a better tomorrow as you are certain that the traffic problems would still be there. You begin to wonder is finding rest in Lagos as a Christian possible? What do we do when faced with all these life’s challenges? Jesus calls us all to come to him who are weary and burdened, in Matthew 11:28 and promises to give us rest. This is a bold claim. But note that it is only Jesus Christ that makes this sort of claim. Jesus does not say we should fast more or try harder, he simply says we should come to him, simple.
In Nigeria, the accepted stance on work is that everyone must “hustle hard” and be resilient in the face of challenges. Christians are also guilty of indulging in this hustle culture but we are reminded by the verse that we all need rest. But I assure you that finding rest in Lagos as a Christian is easy.
What “Weary” Means in Lagos
Let’s take a deep dive into what ‘weary’ means in the Nigerian context below:
- Traffic- as I wrote earlier, this is a major stressor for most Nigerians. Having to face this on a daily basis would definitely cause one to become weary.
- High cost of living- In recent times, due to the war in Iran, and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the ripple effect of this has been felt worldwide with ever rising cost of energy. Nigeria is not left out of all of this as petrol and diesel have increased by 50%.
- Church activities– sometimes, church activities can be physically and mentally exhausting with the endless tasks that do not enrich spiritually. This can cause weariness if not handled correctly.
- The pressure to look successful on social media– people generally tend to always share the best aspects of their lives on social media and leave out aspects of their lives that are mundane and ordinary deeming them not social media worthy. As a result people always think that others are having it better than them when they compare what they think are their boring lives to exciting and polished posts that they see on social media.
It should interest you to know that Jesus Christ also got tired as recorded in John 4:6. This famous verse is known for the fact that Jesus speaks to a Samaritan woman. Note that Jews are forbidden to have relations with the Samaritan. But a less known fact about that story is what led to the encounter. The passage explains that Jesus was tired after a long journey and sat by a well just before the Samaritan woman arrived to get water. This leads us to the essence of this post: what we as Nigerians can do to find Biblical rest when we are weary.
Find out how you can read the Bible in a year here
Practical Steps to Finding Rest As a Christian in Lagos This Week
- 1. Stop the Scroll.
It is essential that as Christians we should limit the amount of time we spend on social media to prevent mindless scrolling that leaves us stumbling on posts that lead to the comparisons we talked about earlier. Say your prayers just before going to bed and make sure you do not pick up your phone to do a check on what you missed on social media during the day. By doing this you’ll wake up in the morning feeling refreshed because you have gained an extra 30-60 minutes of sleep.
- 2. Create a 10-Minute Quiet Space.
A quiet time with God in the mornings is non-negotiable. I know that there’s the pressure of trying not to leave your home late so you don’t arrive late to work. You don’t have to observe your quiet time at home. You can do this when you beat the traffic when you safely get to work on time. When you try this method you will have an uninterrupted time with God just before you resume your duties at work. You can observe your quiet time at the desk or the privacy of your car at the car park if you have a car. Your quiet time is an essential time to get reassurance that God’s got you and also a time to ask for help from God, the creator of heaven and earth.
- 3. Pray a Simple Breath Prayer.
In the midst of the chaos, remember to inhale and say “Lord, I am weary.” Exhale: “Give me Your rest.” Do this in traffic when you are feeling overwhelmed or before meetings when you are anxious or uncertain about how it would go.
- 4. Take One Evening Off.
When you are feeling weary, try to take one evening off just like Jesus did.
During this time, you only do things you love doing, things that make you relaxed. In Mark 6:31, due to the stress from the crowd who needed Jesus’ attention for healing and other spiritual needs. He was so busy that he did not have time to eat. What he did was to find a quiet place to rest, away from the noise. Remember, rest is not laziness, it is obedience
A Nigerian Prayer for the Weary
Olorun! Gbani Gbani(God,deliverer)– help all those who are weary.Na your hand we dey.
Today, we just want to thank You.
Thank You for providing me with a job to go to every morning because
without a job I won’t be going out early in the mornings and won’t have
the funds to provide food for my family and I.
I thank you for the traffic because you said in your word that in all things give thanks.
Na Your hand dey provide all these small-small joys.
Help me not to miss them. Help me to praise You for the small things before
I ask for the big ones.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Conclusion to Finding Rest As a Christian in Lagos
To conclude we have learnt that rest is not earned rather it is received as a gift from Christ only. We all should all learn to prioritise rest in our lives everyday as try to emulate Christ’s example where he had an encounter with the Samaritan woman. It was reported that he sat down by a well when he was extremely tired from tending to a huge crowd. Once you sense you are weary, come to Jesus Christ who has promised to give you rest.
Drop a comment: What’s one thing that wearies you most this week? Let’s pray for each other.
