I used to joke that when I got sick that it was God telling me to take a break and rest. I am the worst at taking time to stop and breathe. I will allow myself to keep going until I am running on no fuel, sometimes negative fuel. A couple of years out of college, I came down with a really bad infection. I was diagnosed with Bronchitis three times and was placed on different antibiotics each time. This sickness lasted for three months. Doctors told me I was not infectious and could continue working, so I did. My infection became very known across my church community. One Sunday I was cornered by two women in my church. They told me they were going to force me to rest. They proceeded with coming up with a plan to make sure I took off work. They had connections with my boss at the time. Both of them made me food and dropped it off at my house. This was a blessing that still stays in the forefront of my mind even though those two women probably don’t even remember doing it.
During that time in my life, I was working a very low-paying job, pet-sitting for several families, and was on three different volunteer teams at my church. Taking time off did not feel like an option. I needed the money and people depended on me. The reality was that I was not as important as I thought. As long as I told people ahead of time, they would be fine if I took a break. But I pressed on, exhausting myself and letting myself get sick.
The Holy Spirit really convicted me during this infection. He said, “Who are you to think you could do all of this without rest?” He reminded me that even God rested after the creation (Genesis 2:2-3). Jesus also rested in between ministering (Mark 6:31-32, Matthew 14:23, Luke 5:16). If our Creator and our Savior rested, who do we think we are that we can get by without rest?
Now rest is not just sleeping. According to the Oxford Dictionary, rest means to “cease work or movement in order to relax, refresh oneself, or recover strength.” Rest should be intentional to refresh your body, mind, and spirit. When Jesus retreated, He usually was alone and He went to pray. Even as an extrovert, I see the need to be alone to refresh every once in a while. I especially see the importance of retreating to pray. The Bible reminds us quite a bit to find rest in our Creator.
“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1).
“My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken” (Psalm 62:1).
“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” (Matthew 11:28-20).
I urge you to find ways to rest. One of my favorite ways is to sit in nature and pray. For some, it may be surrounded by other believers while for others it may be retreating to a quiet place. I urge you to find a time for rest and be intentional with that time. Schedule it. If you are anything like me, rest will not accidentally happen until your body forces it.
In my opinion, summer is the best time to find what refreshes you. You usually have fewer commitments. Maybe less homework or places to take your kids. Take this time to find even small ways to rest. This could be getting up early and having your cup of coffee while everyone else is asleep. It could be purposely getting to places early to take a walk around the block while you pray. Explore what works for you and what fits in your stage of life. Then for the big kicker. Start scheduling and implementing it as fall inches closer. This way your rest will be scheduled into your new fall schedule. You will keep your momentum moving forward because you took the time to rest in the Lord.
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