When I rest, God works.
“God thunders wonderfully with his voice, he does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth!’ — likewise to the light rain, also to the downpour. He brings all human activity to a stop, so that everyone he has made can know it.
- Job 37:5-7 (Complete Jewish Bible)
Have you ever found yourself fighting rest like a toddler fights nap time? Everything in you is screaming “I’m tired!” but for whatever reason your little toddler mind can rationalize, you just have to keep going. That's how I spent half the day yesterday. My body and mind were fatigued and I barely had the energy to think or pray, let alone work on my to do list. Clearly I needed to rest but why was I so dead set against it? And why did I think I could fight it?
Because I’ve been treating rest more like an inconvenience than the gift that it really is.
As entrepreneurs who are actively engaged in creating a better life for ourselves, it can be so hard to give ourselves a break; especially when there are things left undone that are key to us getting one step closer to our goals. It can feel like every minute not spent in the pursuit is a minute holding us back, when in reality, time spent in rest can actually propel us forward. Case in point: when I woke up this morning, I woke up with solutions to things on my to do list that I didn’t have when I went to sleep last night.
Rest gives your mind, body & spirit space to do what God created them to do.
Just like soil is designed to grow seeds into trees, our minds and spirits can produce answers to questions. God can give you one dream that is the equivalent to 10 days of work if you let Him! That’s why I love this week’s scripture because sometimes, He has to remind you that you’re His creation. He knows how you tick better than you do. If your body or mind is telling you it’s time for a break, listen! They’re only telling you what God already programmed them to say.
Don’t have a toddler’s mentality when it comes to rest.
Rest is just as important as anything on your to do list. In fact, it’s more important because without it, you’re not going to be able to accomplish anything on that list at the level it really needs to be executed. I know for a fact had I kept working yesterday, everything I produced would’ve been trash. How many times do you have to produce trash work before you realize it’s time to take a break? Let the last time be the last time and from now on, welcome rest when it comes to you; don’t fight it. The people you're uniquely gifted to serve need your best, not your trash.
Still hungry? Eat some more //
Psalm 103:13-14 → God's never going to look down on you for taking a break; He's the one who made you this way in the first place
Psalm 127:1-2 → Work when He leads, rest when He leads. At the end of the day He's going to bring forth the increase you seek