Important to Just Rest

Throughout the Bible, God encourages us to rest. This is a busy time of the year with proms, graduations, end of the school year concerts, recitals, holiday gatherings, school plays, sports, and the list goes on. Carole and I just traveled up to north Georgia last Saturday and then a dance recital between church services Sunday. By the end of the day we were both exhausted. Sometimes the most productive thing we can do is absolutely nothing more than to take a moment out of our hectic schedules and just breathe.

•    God promises to make us lay down in green pastures and to lead us by still waters (Psalm 23:2). 

•    He encourages us not to be anxious (Philippians 4:6).

•    He instructs us to come to Him when we are tired, and our burdens are heavy, and He will replenish us (Matthew 11:28, Jeremiah 31:25).

•    He set an example for us by resting from His work on the seventh day of creation, and He commanded us to have a day of rest each week (Genesis 2:3, Exodus 20:10).

Look at your schedule this week and carve out time to unplug with some quiet and alone time to recharge. More isn’t always better. We fill our schedules until they are overflowing with things to do. As the commitments pile on and we deceive ourselves, believing one more thing in our day won’t hurt, we often push past our limits. Suddenly and unexpectedly, we tilt and reach overload. Stressed out, we begin to respond negatively, or simply shut down, because we were not created to go, go, go, all the time. Don’t forget to just breathe and rest in the love, mercy, grace, and provision in Jesus.

Your servant, Phillip