If you’re like me, you feel like you have to constantly be doing something. The Lord has been tugging at my heart lately to rest more. We all need to learn how to rest.
Obviously, I’m no expert on this matter but here I am sharing with you about rest anyway. We can learn together!
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying to be lazy because that’s not biblical at all. I’m saying in the chaos of our lives we should always take time to be still. Time to refresh and unwind. In those moments we are still enough to hear promptings from the Lord.
We rush around like chickens with our heads cut off. Our calendars are so packed full of things we need to do. We barely have time to check up on our loved ones let alone be still. Or is that just me?
We get so focused on doing instead of being.
I literally have to be working on something constantly and if I don’t, I feel like a failure. Is that what God wants for me and you? To feel like a rat on a wheel that has to keep running with no end in sight? Of course not!
God literally set aside a day of rest on the Sabbath. Remember that story in the Old Testament? You know the day now that Chick-fil-A is closed, the day we go out to lunch with our family, and the day we all take naps and lazy around? Yes, I’m talking about Sunday.
Human beings all need time to refresh and recharge before they take on the world for the week. God created us so, naturally, He knew this but for some reason, we still can’t get the concept ourselves. [Insert you and me with our busy selves].
Personally, I’m a more serious type of person, to begin with. By that I mean I’m constantly thinking about practical things and making the next to do list. I feel like it just intensifies the older I get. God has been showing me that it’s okay to relax and not always be working on something.
Life is hard enough so why make it more difficult on ourselves? Our husbands, friends, and family don’t want our cranky leftovers. I don’t know about you but I get super tired and cranky at the end of the day especially when I push so hard to fill every second with working. And that’s when I get to finally see the ones I choose to be around.
That being said, I’ve learned to act better than I feel. To smile when I don’t feel like it. To say hi to people even when I don’t feel like talking. But how hard am I making it on myself when I don’t rest and enjoy life like I should?
We’re not just hurting ourselves but those around us. God has called us to love others as He has loved us. Not only that but we won’t be as successful doing things because we’re not at our best. We’re at our best when we take time to rest.
“Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28-30
God is calling us to rest ladies. It’s okay to rest, you aren’t doing anything wrong. For me, rest involves a nap, bubble bath, sitting outside on my back porch, reading a book, or watching a TV show on Netflix. We have to take time to rest because our lives and others depend on it.
Reflection
What ways can you rest and relax this week? Don’t just think about it, start doing it!
A Prayer For You
Lord Jesus, thank You for reminding us to be still and rest. Please help us to make time and find ways to relax. Remind us that we aren’t failures by taking time to rest. In Jesus name, amen.