Few people are unfamiliar with the infamous PBS character, Bob Ross, who was the sole host of a TV series called "The Joy of Painting." For over a decade, Bob opened a whole world of imagination through 31 seasons of his "beginners'" painting classes after serving two decades in the US Air Force as a Master Sergeant. More than his ability to teach us how to paint, however, I believe may be his ability to teach us how to rest.
For a very long time, I did not know what "rest" actually was, or what it meant. Perhaps it meant "sleeping" or "dead" (as in laid to rest), but practically I was not quite sure what to make of it, nor did I care. At one point, my family went through a few life changes and I came to be friends with someone who challenged me and many others with this idea that "rest" was not only something that exists, but it was also very good, and that God himself told us that we ought to receive it; it isn't a luxury to be had some day, but rather a command for all of us to receive now (Matthew 11:29-30).
Because people are so busy, because time is the most precious commodity everyone has, most people feel that they cannot possibly waste [Sunday] doing nothing.
Atul Dighe, Analyst at the Institute for Alternative Futures
So one day — okay, more like two years of hearing this consistently with a bit of pain in the middle to get me there — I started seeking this illusive creature that nobody seems to have found called "rest". I started with "Sabbath," or a day set aside to stop what I do during the week. That is a lot harder than it sounds because we Americans are very good at "doing.” Whether it is productive or meaningful, we "do" a lot. In fact, the notion of "not" doing is a lot harder for most of us than most challenging tasks we are faced with.
Doing... But Not?
So what does one "do" on a day that you aren't suppose to "work" on anything? How do we know if what we do is "restful" if we don’t do anything at all? I assume breathing counts, is that restful? That's all a teaser for another blog I have in the works, but what I will say is that finding it is very difficult, and because we live in a world so void of rest, explaining it is like trying to explain a color that you have never seen before.
So back to Bob Ross. Many people, like myself, would argue when they watch one of his shows that, perhaps subconsciously or perhaps directly, he's “too carefree" or his mannerisms lend one to think that he may be altering his mood chemically/artificially, maybe even illegally. Perhaps you would argue to yourself that if you wanted to be as calm and peaceful as he appears to be, you would have to forfeit intellectual honesty or check your brain at the door.
One of the incredible things Bob Ross brings out of art is the beauty of the landscapes that God made, and that although you are in fact creating something of your own, it is but a mental image of the real thing that God made — something we only hope to capture a dim reflection of.
Before the mountains were born
or you brought forth the whole world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
Psalm 90:2 (NIV)
Although I do not personally know Bob Ross and am not able to make any conclusions about his personal walk with our Lord, what I can tell you is that what he is creating a painting of is the amazing and awesome power of our God. Take some time and watch one of his episodes — hundreds are free on YouTube — and just watch and imagine as he creates a picture of a world in 30 minutes, and know that the God we serve created the real one with mere words.
You might be tempted, like me, with voices like "he doesn't know about...” or "I don't have time for this, I have to...” or "his life is easy, my life is full of..." — those are the voices of our enemy, and we can take a cue from our Bibles on how to handle this: "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword" (Hebrews 4:12) and "Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Ephesians 6:17)
So to those voices, you can reply "no, he may not, but the God I serve does, and He says 'Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life (Matt 6:25)’” and “perhaps he may not, but my Savior lived in a world far worse, so He knows, He cares, and He still rested (Mark 4:35-40).”
We want happy paintings. Happy paintings. If you want sad things, watch the news.
Bob Ross
So give Bob Ross a shot; turn off the news, leave your phone on silent in the other room, and watch an episode or two. Watch as he skillfully walks you through the creation of his happy little world, let your heart-rate slow, let your blood pressure drop, and your breathing begin to calm — trusting all the while that our Creator has the whole real world in his joyous hands.
Oh, and when you do so, you will have spotted a glimpse of the "rest" that He gives (Genesis 2:2-3).
Few people are unfamiliar with the infamous PBS character, Bob Ross, who was the sole host of a TV series called "The Joy of Painting." For over a decade, Bob opened a whole world of imagination through 31 seasons of