Do you ever feel like a hamster running in a tread wheel? For many of us, life has become a fast-paced sprint that never stops. As I meet with women each week, I hear a recurring theme: “I need rest.” And I’m right there with them. I’m tired. I need rest, too.
We have become a society that rushes through life and fills our calendars to overflowing. We’re exhausted and weary, but we don’t stop to rest. Yet, Jesus modeled rest during His time on this earth, even though there were still people to be healed and demons to be cast out. He pulled away to be refreshed and replenished.
Most of us, including myself, don’t rest well. We know we should rest, but we don’t. Why?
I hear three main reasons why people say they don’t rest. See if you identify with any of these.
I feel guilty.
- I feel guilty when I rest. I should be doing something productive.
- People will think I’m lazy if I take time to rest.
Don’t let guilt prevent you from resting. Jesus rested. Follow His example.
I’m too busy.
- I don’t have time to rest. I’ve got too much to do.
- If I stopped to rest, I can’t get everything done.
- Once I get everything done, then I’ll rest.
God gives us 24 hours a day and He will never give us more to do than we can do in a day. The problem is not having too little time; the problem is that we’ve taken on more than God ever intended for us to take on.
It’s not spiritual.
- It’s not spiritual to rest. People who love the Lord stay busy.
- It’s selfish for me to take time to rest. I need to be serving others.
- I want to be a Proverbs 31 woman, and she didn’t rest. Her candle never went out! I’m not a godly woman if I rest.
There is nothing unspiritual about taking time to rest. It’s actually unspiritual to work ourselves to the point of exhaustion without taking time to be refreshed and replenished.
So how do we embrace God’s gift of rest in a world that is spinning madly out of control? How do we rest when our lives seem maxed out with to-do lists and circumstances of life? I’ll share my thoughts on that next week.
I’d love to hear your thoughts. What keeps you from resting? What helps you pull away and rest?
