God’s Abundant Gift of (Rest)

GOD’S ABUNDANT GIFT OF REST

“o the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation. (Genesis 2:2-3).

WHO HAS TIME TO REST?

I never thought rest was a gift.

After over a decade of trauma, my mind was constantly running. Anxiety gripped my heart, and fear filled my mind like an overflowing coffee cup. There was always another task to complete, a devotional to write, or a habit I needed to implement to live my best life. Resting was the eleventh plague. Based on everyone’s actions around me, they thought so, too. Who has time to rest?

Exodus 20:8-11 is perhaps the commandment broken most often in our generation: “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy” (Exodus 20:8). Why? Because each week, “You have six days for your ordinary work” (Exodus 20:9), and for most of us, eight hours a day barely makes a dent in our to-do list.

Without a thought, we toss the rest of this passage like an optional piece of candy: But the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day, no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you (Exodus 20:10).

WE NEED SABBATH REST

“Who needs Sabbath?” we ask ourselves. “This is the 21st century!”—but maybe those who ignore this command need it more than anyone else (myself included)

While Sabbath observance originated in the Old Testament and may look very different for us today, it’s an essential part of rest we are encouraged to apply to our lives. How do I know this? In Genesis 20:11, we learn that God Himself rested on the seventh day: “For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.”

If you read Isaiah 40:28, this might sound contradictory: Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. However, God and His Word never contradict (2 Timothy 2:13) – which means one powerful thing: Rest is for us. 

REST IS A CHOICE

This past May, I resigned from teaching to pursue full-time authorship. I felt this call since I was 14, but God (and my husband) finally said it was time. I also felt His immense call to rest. Instead of listening, I threw myself into the next season without reflecting on the past. I had surgery for stage 2 endometriosis, attended three writing conferences, and landed an agent. Again, I asked: “Who has time for rest?” God’s answer shocked me: We all do.

Friend, as hard and counter-cultural as it might seem, rest is a choice. Every day, we make a million choices: what to eat for breakfast, when to work, and how to make our home look like the ones on Pinterest. Why can’t one of those choices be the long and deep-sought-after rest we all need? We make time for essential things, and if we want to rest well the way God intended, it must become a priority.

What does this look like, practically?

HOW TO PRACTICALLY REST

In one of my quiet-time moments with the Lord, I was recently convicted by Psalm 127:2: “It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.” 

In her newest book (Tired of Being Tired), Jess Connolly categorizes exhaustion into four types: spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional. The opposite of exhaustion is firm-rooted, unshakeable, ingrained rest—a rest that only the Lord can give us through:

• His Word,
• His resources here on Earth (and in Heaven), and
• His presence.

Rest can look different depending on who you are and your season of life. It also doesn’t have to be on one set day but can be built into the week. What’s important for us to understand is that rest is holy and created for us because God knew we needed it. It was never meant to restrain us but to prevent things like burnout or overproduction (two things I majorly struggle with daily). Rest was made for our good and God’s glory.

While I wish I could say I’ve mastered the art of resting successfully, I can’t. My addiction to overproduction is my anxiety—and a coping skill for depression. It isn’t healthy, but habits take time to break and rebuild.

THINGS TO HELP WHEN YOU STRUGGLE TO REST

If you struggle to rest, I’d encourage you to try one of these things:

• If you need a mental reset, try going for a walk without your phone. Meditate on your surroundings and take in God’s beautiful creation. I’ve been doing this recently, and it’s done wonders for my heart and mind. Not only do I feel refreshed after a walk, but I feel closer to my Creator.
• If you need a spiritual reset, try changing your quiet time. If you usually follow a Bible plan and journal, try meditating on some verses, listening to worship music, or playing a new sermon you’ve wanted to hear. When I need a spiritual refresh, it usually looks less like routine and more like spontaneity, where I feel the Lord leading me. Reading Scripture is undoubtedly important, but don’t be afraid to see and experience God in new and fresh ways.
• If you need an emotional reset, write your feelings in a journal. As you pen your words, write them as a prayer unto the Lord. Anytime I’ve felt overwhelmed, stressed, or anxious, putting thoughts to paper somehow makes them less powerful. There is strength in pouring out your heart to the Lord (Psalm 62:8).
• If you need a physical reset, take some time to engage in 4-4-8 breath prayers. With your eyes closed, inhale through your nose for four seconds while mentally reciting the first part of a Scripture: “When anxiety was great within me” (Psalm 94:19). Then, hold that breath for four seconds. In the next eight seconds, exhale through your mouth while mentally reciting the second part of that Scripture: “Your consolation brought me joy.”

A CALL TO REST WELL

Taking a rest isn’t easy. It takes practice, discipline, and willingness to exchange hustle-bustle for a slower and more mindful pace. It’s a challenge worth every ounce of effort to restore the life God intended for you to live.

This past September, I got sick—really sick. Cue the sore throat, headache, body chills, nausea, stomach pain, nasal congestion, and facial pressure. It wasn’t pretty. I’m convinced that every time this happens, it’s because I’m not resting. The Lord is gently nudging and reminding me to rest.

I don’t want to wait until I’m sick, exhausted, and heaved over to rest. I want to embrace it now, no matter where I am in life. Will you join me?

PRAYER

Dear God, rest doesn’t come easy for most of us. In a hustle culture that identifies our worth by our productivity, the temptation to do more is continually present. As we approach a new season, remind us that something more beautiful is available. For those of us who struggle with mental or physical ailments, remind us that true and eternal rest is possible—if we are willing to embrace the change and press into all You have to offer. Thank You for seeing us in these struggles and loving us enough to give us something as sweet as deep and holy rest. Amen.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

• Which type of exhaustion (spiritual, physical, mental, or emotional) do you most struggle with? What is one way you can implement rest into your daily routine?
• Do you find rest desirable or repulsive? Write a prayer to God reflecting on these thoughts.
• What are your thoughts on the Sabbath? Which verses in this post speak to you? Perhaps another verse came to mind. Consider memorizing it when you’re resting.