“Be still and know I am God.” Psalm 46:10
When was the last time you felt really rested? Had time to breathe? To pause?
Balancing family, work, friends, and all of life’s demands can be a constant battle. Our world tells
us, “You can do ALL the things. A full calendar is a good calendar. Press on!” Yet we all feel that
tension when trying to juggle it all.
Busyness can lead to, among other things, broken relationships, and health concerns such as
anxiety and depression. Survey after survey tell us what we already know – we are a worn out,
exhausted, and overwhelmed society.
God never intended for us to live in this frenzied and frazzled state.
Rest is vital and God-ordained. God created rest to replenish us. Restore us. Renew us. He
designed our minds and bodies to need rest, giving us both emotional and physical limitations.
That’s why He created a time for Sabbath – an appointed day for rest. When we can
consistently take time to slow down and abide in Him, we experience restoration and enjoy
lasting rest.
Jesus himself leads by example. He often withdrew to spend time with the Father, away from
the busyness of His ministry and the needs of others.
We are commanded to be still and know He is God. However, that doesn’t mean inaction. The
original translation of that commandment means to “cease striving.” In other words, we are to
take our burdens, worries, temptations, sins – all the things that drain and empty us – to Him.
It’s important to periodically take inventory of our life activities. Eliminate or alter those that drain
us. Delegate. Say no. What do you need to take off your plate, maybe even if it is just for a
season? What is life-giving and/or necessary?
Below are a few practical ideas for incorporating rest and restoration into key areas of our
everyday lives.
1. Physical Rest – engage in an activity that restores your body.
a. Stretching
b. Walking
c. Deep breathing exercises
d. Hot bath
2. Mental Rest – find something to calm your mind.
a. Read
b. Paint
c. Get outside into nature
d. Pause social media and technology
e. Enjoy a new or existing hobby
f. Spend time with a friend
g. Focus on a characteristic of God
h. Meditate on Scripture
3. Emotional Rest – take an assessment of your emotional health. Emotions are our
internal gauge, letting us know when something may be off or out of balance. If
something small sets you off, chances are you may need emotional rest. Consider trying
a few of these suggestions.
a. Set boundaries to inform and guide your time commitments
b. Say no – and don’t feel guilty
c. Stop people pleasing
d. Refrain from comparisons to others
e. Acknowledge the season you are in and what you are realistically able to commit
to
f. Nurture relationships with people with whom you can be authentic
4. Spiritual Rest – take time to nourish your relationship with the Lord. To connect with Him.
To abide in Him. Give Him your brokenness and all that worries you. Steps you can take
to deepen your relationship with him include:
a. Read the Word
b. Pray
c. Journal
d. Worship through music
e. Take communion
f. Guard against (or identify) unconfessed sin, paying attention to walls we’ve
erected in our hearts
g. Create content
h. Observe the Sabbath
Remember, the enemy uses busyness to distract us. When we are distracted, we are less likely
to hear God and experience the abundant life He has for us.
Rest is an ongoing effort and rarely a quick fix to achieve. We must be intentional and
continually seek to make rest part of our daily lives. Just like reading our Bibles, we need rest.
Both are a spiritual discipline. And we should never feel guilty when we make rest a priority.
{Rest was the focus of our May luncheon with speaker, Amanda Martinsen. You can watch the recording here!}
FALL LUNCHEON DATES HAVE BEEN RELEASED!
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