I do not rest easily. My husband would be the first to tell you that. I like to fill my weekends with activities, shopping, errands, working out, laundry, and any other chore I can find around my house. I struggle to rest. Even when I am sitting on the couch “resting,” I am making plans in my head, worrying about the next thing coming up on our schedule or what we need to accomplish the next weekend.
I like to imagine a peaceful, slow and quiet Sunday afternoon, but when I actually get to it, I don’t pause; I stay busy. As this cycle progresses I get to the point to where I am trying to figure out the last time I truly rested and recharged. I find myself running on fumes. I can see it in my attitude, my responses to people and in my thoughts. I need to stop and slow down.
I need rest.
Rest is necessary. It’s not just sitting on the couch zoning out to the millionth re-run of your favorite show on tv. It’s much more than that. It is an act of trusting, submitting, bringing your burdens to God and allowing Him to have control and give you peace.
Rest pushes us out of self-reliance and brings us back to the One who gives it. When I find myself tired, burnt out, and discouraged I can go rest in the promises of God. The truth is that I cannot do everything on my own, I need rest from the Lord and I have full confidence that He will provide it.
Rest allows us to be filled up so then we can go pour back out to others. I am doing nobody a favor when I am operating out of a bad attitude and a short fuse. I need time to re-charge, re-center and focus to getting back to the purpose of what God has called me to.
Rest is an act of trust. Whether we like it or not, the fact is that we cannot control everything and we cannot do it all. Resting forces us to let go of all the matters we are trying to fix and glue back together and allow God to have control. By resting and turning our focus back to God, we must trust that He has far greater plans than the ones that we try and create.
I recognize this in my own life that I need more balance and more rest. I need to trust God more and stop trying to run around and get it all done on my own. I often realize this too late and get caught up in the “busyness” of life. But, when I truly find rest in God and lay down my own worries and burdens to Him, I find peace and experience the goodness of God and His gentle grace. So before you find yourself running on fumes and breaking down on the side of the road, fill up your soul with the Lord’s rest and allow Him to recharge and restore you.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30
