Why is rest so hard?

After I have been led of the Lord to take a step back in counseling, counseling an hour less a day than I have been for the past 6 years I still struggle to rest.  I recently heard a message talking about rest and heard a familiar passage but in the Message version, "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." (Matthew 11:28-30)  I love the way this passage reads, especially "...learn the unforced rhythms of grace..."    There is a rest when we first come into Christ, realizing that our sins have been forgiven and tasting unconditional love.  This rest does not seem to sustain us over the long-haul because we need an even deeper rest, which is more of a rest for our soul.  Unfortunately there are beliefs, lies, and thoughts in my soul that seek to steal this rest.  As I have personally struggled with insomnia over many months, rest has become more important to me.  I have come to see how the lack of sleep not only steals energy but also steals joy, renewing, and creativity.  In our culture we have very little value for rest, we are a society of doers who thrive on continual achievement, progress, and unceasing activity.  Even the Body of Christ seems caught up with the latest programs, growth, and ever increasing information.  Yet if God values rest so much that after 6 days of creating the earth and all that was in it He rested, then rest must have some value beyond just giving back energy.  God was not tired after He created the earth, He is unlimited power, life, and love.  I believe we can only rest through our faith in the finished work of Christ because through this Covenant we are assured that all our needs will be met.  If you don't know that you are safe and your needs will be met how could you rest.  In the passage in Matthew it is even said "...Get away with me and you'll recover your life..."  Meaning that without rest our life will not be restored but slowly head the direction of death.  I am asking the Lord to reveal to me the value of rest, Jesus even talked about a type of rest apart from the Sabbath rest under the Law.  Since we now have the life of Christ within us, we are learning to cooperate with this new life.  We didn't know to be a forgiving person til the Holy Spirit revealed the power and freedom of this new way of living "in Christ".  I believe part of how the Holy spirit is going to reveal the value of rest, is through my own experience.  The rest that Jesus teaches about is not a rest of doing nothing, this is often attacked in our society as laziness.  The unforced rhythms of grace, is being available and in tune with the very life of God flowing in us and around us.  The Holy Spirit must be my guide into this rest because all I know is what I have lived, this rest also must be of a higher reality (Heaven).  I pray the Lord would speak to you about this rest and teach you His rhythms.

In His Rest,
Bret