Ben Stuart - Rest and War: Rhythms of a Well-Fought Life

Weve all felt battle-weary and discouraged at times in our lives as Christians. Ben Stuart knows what this feels like and teaches readers to know the right time to rest and the right time to war, with Jesus by our side. In Rest & War, youll find the companion youve been waiting for as you look to honor God with the way you spend your days and mental energy. Life may not always be easy, but this book will help you learn to live your one life well!

LYSA TERKEURST, BESTSELLING AUTHOR AND
PRESIDENT OF PROVERBS 31 MINISTRIES

Profound yet practical. Ben has made a habit of examining Scripture to mine the truth from the text, and this book is proof of that pursuit. In Rest & War, hes stepped into a cultural crisis and held up a beacon of light and hope through the person and way of Jesus. From the earliest chapters in Genesis, we see our God creating structure in a way that brings about life and flourishing, and that is what Ben is offering in this book: strategic structure that doesnt just change your schedule but changes your heart as well.

LOUIE GIGLIO, BESTSELLING AUTHOR, PASTOR OF PASSION
CITY CHURCH, AND FOUNDER OF PASSION CONFERENCES

There is a war for our faith, and Rest & War will give you the tools and courage to fight.

JENNIE ALLEN, BESTSELLING AUTHOR AND
FOUNDER OF IF:GATHERING

Rest & War is a breath of fresh air for our generation. Bens practical and encouraging words help us all learn how to better cultivate true intimacy with Jesus as we navigate the complexities of our daily lives.

SADIE ROBERTSON HUFF, BESTSELLING AUTHOR,
SPEAKER, AND FOUNDER OF LIVE ORIGINAL

One of the most common answers I hear when I ask someone How are you? is, Im tired. It reveals how the pace of our world is often at war with the steadfast way of living Jesus invites us to. Rest & War is a book that intentionally examines and practically equips you to live out the rhythms of Jesus in our modern-day world.

KYLE IDLEMAN, BESTSELLING AUTHOR AND PASTOR OF
LOUISVILLES SOUTHEAST CHRISTIAN CHURCH

Rest & War offers the ingredients needed not just to face the chaos of life, but to come out stronger on the other side. Ben clearly communicates the ways to struggle well in a world that does not know rest. This resource will help you navigate this beautiful tension in your spiritual life and set in place disciplines that will help you flourish.

LEVI LUSKO, BESTSELLING AUTHOR AND
PASTOR OF FRESH LIFE CHURCH

Ben Stuart is a needed voice in the chaotic world we face today! I am so thankful he has put pen to paper in order to help us navigate the spiritual life and flourish. Life is hard, but God is good. Thank you, Ben, for this resource!

CROWDER, CHRISTIAN MUSIC SINGER, SONGWRITER,
AND THREE-TIME GRAMMY NOMINEE

Rest & War is a game-changing, difference-making, paradigm-shifting book. Its a guide and encouragement to live out the fullness of faith and to deflect the deception of empty lies. Ben masterfully weaves wit and wisdom to set a clear path for our journey. Read this book with your heart and put it to action in your steps as you fulfill Gods purpose for your life.

GREGG MATTE, AUTHOR AND PASTOR OF
HOUSTONS FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH

I truly believe that Ben Stuart is one of the most effective communicators of Gods Word in this generation. Whether the word is preached, written, or spoken in a conversation, I always walk away saying, I get it! In Rest & War, Ben gives us a simple, sound, and strategic game plan on finding our rest in the Lord while engaging in lifes unrelenting battles. Thank you, brother. Gods... perfect... timing!

MIKADO HINSON, DIRECTOR OF FOOTBALL
PLAYER DEVELOPMENT FOR TEXAS A&M

WE GO TO WAR THAT WE MAY HAVE PEACE.

AUGUSTINE

Rest & War

2022 Ben Stuart

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by W Publishing, an imprint of Thomas Nelson.

Thomas Nelson titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fundraising, or sales promotional use. For information, please email SpecialMarkets@ThomasNelson.com.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version). Copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible (NASB). Copyright 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

All italicized words in Scripture quotations designate the authors emphasis.

Any internet addresses, phone numbers, or company or product information printed in this book are offered as a resource and are not intended in any way to be or to imply an endorsement by Thomas Nelson, nor does Thomas Nelson vouch for the existence, content, or services of these sites, phone numbers, companies, or products beyond the life of this book.

ISBN 978-0-7852-4833-0 (audiobook)

ISBN 978-0-7852-4832-3 (eBook)

ISBN 978-0-7852-4831-6 (TP)

Epub Edition November 2021 9780785248323

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021945778

Printed in the United States of America

22 23 24 25 26 LSC 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Information about External Hyperlinks in this ebook

Please note that the endnotes in this ebook may contain hyperlinks to external websites as part of bibliographic citations. These hyperlinks have not been activated by the publisher, who cannot verify the accuracy of these links beyond the date of publication

To Hannah, Sparrow, and Owen

Your daddy delights in you.

Oh God, we are so stupid.

These were the first words of my friend Bens prayer. I dont remember his next few lines. I wasnt really paying attention. My eyes kept scanning the snow-covered mountains under our perch high atop Longs Peak. As we sat there near the highest point in Rocky Mountain National Park, entirely depleted physically, I wondered, How long until our friends down below file a missing persons report? Can a rescue helicopter reach this altitude? The only thing I knew for certain was that I could not conceive of a way to get down that mountain using only my internal resources. How did I let myself end up here?