You know the feeling. When you’re SO tired, but feel you need to
just keep going. How else are you going to accomplish your goals and
get to the top? In your mind, that’s the only way.
But you’re burnt out and wonder what the point of this working
hamster wheel is. You wake up every morning after getting about 5 hours
of sleep and repeat the same routine you do everyday. Life seems so
mundane. Why is this? Why does working your tail off not bring
fulfillment? I’m not talking about hard work, I’m talking about never
resting.
The answer is found in that last sentence. “Never resting.” That is
why you feel so exhausted and unfulfilled. You weren’t created to work
24/7. God didn’t. When He was making the world in that first week of
Creation, God rested on the 7th day. I honestly think that if God
Himself needed to rest, so do we.
But why do we feel so guilty about resting?
Maybe because this world has told us that we won’t amount to anything
unless we work 24/7 and become “successful”, whatever that is. Maybe
we feel the need to accomplish something to impress somebody or make
them approve of us. Maybe we feel lazy when we aren’t working. Or
maybe it’s just because we live in a fallen world and we are constantly
pulled in so many different directions.
Whatever the reason may be, it doesn’t erase the fact that we all
need rest. God commands it. And our lives continually prove that when
we have a good work-to-rest ratio, we thrive.
I don’t know if any of you follow @emilyley on Instagram, but if you don’t, you need to! Her story has inspired me so much. She is the creator of the Simplified Planner,
and in recent years, her business was growing rapidly, making her work
too much and travel too often. She also had a 5 year old and twin
toddlers! She was stretched so thin, and eventually was diagnosed with
an autoimmune disease. See, stress and working too much isn’t good for
us! She then decided that enough was enough and made some drastic
lifestyle changes. She cut down a ton on the wholesale of her products
and doesn’t travel nearly as much. She began to work less, spend more
time with family, rest, and take care of her body by working out and
eating right. And you know what? She has noticed tremendous results!
She is happier, can pour more into her family, has so much more energy,
and even has new hair growth because she isn’t as stressed! Her
business may not be as large, and she may not have followed the
standards of this world, but she is a whole lot more joyful and content.
I think that is what truly matters!
Today, I just want to give you permission to rest. Take care of
yourself and enjoy this one life you’ve been given. You don’t need to
earn a certain amount of money or have a certain position to be worth
anything. When Jesus died He died for where you are right now.
So go read that book. Take a sunset hike. Watch that movie
you’ve been wanting to see. Soak extra long in the warm bath. Go out
with friends or spend time with family. Linger in God’s presence. Do
whatever means “rest” to you. It will be so good for your soul, mind,
and body.
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will
give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle
and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke
is easy and My burden is light.””
Matthew 11:28-30
Labels: devotion, encouragement, rest
