rest – La Vista Church of Christ

Appointed Times

Jeffrey Hamilton — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 21:35:01 +0000

by Zeke Flores

"Yahweh's appointed times ... these are My appointed times" (Leviticus 23:2).

Leviticus 23 outlines Israel's festivals. These weren’t random holidays; they were God-designed rhythms that reminded the people of His goodness, His provision, and His presence. God built celebration, rest, and remembrance into their calendar.

We need rhythms like that, too. Life gets busy. We forget what God has done. We rush past blessings. God knows we need regular pauses to reset our hearts.

Whether they’re days of rest, moments of gratitude, times of celebration, or times of reflection, they’re not luxuries; they’re spiritual lifelines. God isn’t honored when we run ourselves into the ground. He’s honored when we trust Him enough to rest, remember, and rejoice.

Today, choose one small rhythm of remembrance. Thank God for something specific. Slow down for a moment. Celebrate a blessing. These simple practices keep your heart anchored.

Space to Recover

Jeffrey Hamilton — Tue, 26 May 2026 23:10:44 +0000

by Zeke Flores

"... and she shall be cleansed from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who bears a child, whether a male or a female" (Leviticus 12:7).

Leviticus 12 deals with purification after childbirth. It’s not saying childbirth is sinful; it’s recognizing that life in a broken world affects us physically and spiritually. God wasn’t shaming mothers; He was giving them space. Time. A rhythm of rest and recovery.

In a culture that often pushes people to bounce back instantly, this chapter reminds us that God understands human limits. He built rest into the process. He gave mothers time to heal and reconnect with Him.

We all need rhythms like that. Time to slow down. Time to reset. Time to let God restore what life has drained. You don’t have to push through everything. You don’t have to pretend you’re fine. God invites you to rest so He can renew you.

If you’ve been running nonstop, take a breath. Let God give you space to recover. Rest isn’t weakness, it’s wisdom.

Our Rest

Jeffrey Hamilton — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 21:23:24 +0000

by Hugh DeLong

Rest? Interesting that God has given the concept of rest in so many different ways. He rested from His labor of creating. He gave Israel the seventh-day rest, then the seventh-year rest, then even the fiftieth-year rest. Joshua brought them into the land (Joshua 1:13; 21:44).

Yet, that was not their rest, for there was yet for them the promise of a greater rest, a spiritual rest. Jesus therefore invited. “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).

Being disciples of Jesus, we ‘are entering’ that rest. That can be understood in three tenses. We have entered in the sense that we became His disciples. We are entering. And we will enter when our earthly ‘labors’ are over. All of that for us is bound up in Jesus!

Thus, chapter 4 of Hebrews is a great encouragement to not grow weary. Notice all the “therefore’s” here:

"Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience" (Hebrews 4:11).
"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession"(Hebrews 4:14).
"Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).

For the disciples of Jesus: “And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, 'Write, 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!' 'Yes,' says the Spirit, 'so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them'” (Revelation 14:13).

What Is Performance Culture?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 14:28:50 +0000

by Herb Berkley

Performance culture is a mindset that measures worth, identity, and success by outward achievement, visible productivity, and continual competition. It's a relentless cycle demanding constant validation, feeding on comparison, anxiety, and a need to prove oneself repeatedly. Within this culture, acceptance is transactional—earned by output rather than freely given.

Performance culture promotes:

“You are what you produce.”
“If you're not achieving, you're failing.”
“Rest is weakness. Hustle defines your worth.”

It’s a treadmill without an off-switch, where life is reduced to performance metrics—status, promotions, titles, likes, and bank balances.

How Does Performance Culture Work?

At its core, performance culture relies on an illusion: If I do more, achieve more, and outperform others, I'll find fulfillment, acceptance, and purpose.
This mentality operates in predictable ways:

Reward and Punishment:

It thrives on incentives—bonuses, praise, promotions—and punishes shortcomings through demotion, isolation, or ridicule. Success feels exhilarating; failure, devastating.

Comparison and Competition:

Individuals often benchmark themselves against others, which can lead to envy and insecurity. Success isn't inherently valued; it is only relative to one's peers.

Restlessness and Burnout:

Always striving, never satisfied, performance culture breeds anxiety, exhaustion, and spiritual emptiness. Rest becomes guilt-ridden, and peace elusive.

Identity and Worth Based on Achievement:

Personal value becomes inseparable from performance. Failures become identity crises rather than growth opportunities.

God's Truth on Performance Culture

Scripture directly confronts the deception at the heart of performance culture. God's truth challenges this worldview and offers freedom from its tyranny.

Identity Rooted in Grace, Not Performance:

"But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain" (I Corinthians 15:10 ESV).

Your worth isn't something you achieve—it's something you receive. God's grace undermines the transactional approach to value in performance culture. It declares you valuable, loved, and accepted—not because of your works, but despite them (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Rest as a Divine Command, Not Weakness:

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28 ESV).

God created humanity for rhythms of rest. Consider the old law of the Sabbath and its intended purpose. God created restful practices for renewal, not endless hustle. God rested after creation to establish His eternal pattern of rest. Therefore, resting acknowledges His sovereignty, His provision, and His sufficiency. Rest reminds you who God is and who you are not.

Faithfulness over Achievement:

"Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much" (Matthew 25:21 ESV).

Notice, Jesus rewards faithfulness, not mere success. God's measure is relational obedience and fidelity, not worldly accomplishment. Heaven does not tally trophies, bonuses, records shattered, or the number of followers—it celebrates trustworthiness.

Freedom from Comparison:

"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ" >(Galatians 1:10 ESV).

The gospel liberates you from the prison of comparison. Approval comes from God alone, freeing you from seeking validation in human applause. You live before an audience of One whose acceptance doesn't fluctuate with your performance.

Work from Approval, Not for Approval:

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men" (Colossians 3:23 ESV).

Scripture doesn't dismiss hard work; it transforms its motivation. You no longer work to earn approval, but joyfully serve from a place of gratitude, knowing your approval has already been secured in Christ.

Reflective Question:

Are you striving to prove your worth through what you accomplish, or are you living from a place of rest in what Christ has already accomplished for you?