Contemporary Christian singer/songwriter Andrew Peterson has released Rest Easy, the carrier single of his new album, Light for the Lost Boy. Peterson co-wrote Rest Easy coming from his own personal faith journey with his wife Jamie, when they were in a particular season of difficulty. He says here that he wrote the song for her, as a reminder that we can rest on Jesus in the middle of the mess, that He loves us, but clearly, he wrote it as an exhortation for people who might be struggling to know that God knows them and loves them.
I’ve gone through the songs of Light for the Lost Boy in preparation for a review, and the quality of this album astounds me. Rest Easy, with its light acoustic vibe and radio-friendly hook, is deceptively simple yet remarkably profound, and gives us a little more insight into the faith workings of one of Contemporary Christian music’s more talented yet under-appreciated singer-songwriters. Look at this chorus:
You don’t have to work so hard
You can rest easy
You don’t have to prove yourself
You’re already mine
You don’t have to hide your heart
I already love you
I hold it in mine
You can rest easy
How can one person capture in such simple words the otherwise unfathomable love of God? It’s the promise of the gospel, and Peterson manages to communicate it in language that anyone can understand. That gifting should propel him to greater heights in the Contemporary Christian music community. Rest Easy is a timely reminder for a world that is hurting, and you would do well to give it a listen.
REST EASY Lyrics
Andrew Peterson
You are not alone
I will always be with you
Even to the end
You don’t have to work so hard
You can rest easy
You don’t have to prove yourself
You’re already mine
You don’t have to hide your heart
I already love you
I hold it in mine
So you can rest easy
Do not be afraid
Nothing, nothing in the world
Can come between us now
You don’t have to work so hard
You can rest easy
You don’t have to prove yourself
You’re already mine
You don’t have to hide your heart
I already love you
I hold it in mine
So you can rest easy
You work so hard to wear yourself down
And you’re running like a rodeo clown
You’re smiling like you’re scared to death
You’re out of faith and all out of breath
You’re so afraid you’ve got nowhere left to go
Well, you are not alone
I will always be with you
You don’t have to work so hard
You can rest easy
You don’t have to prove yourself
You’re already mine
You don’t have to hide your heart
I already love you
I hold it in mine
You can rest easy