Soul Care - Rest
by Mary Elsbury
I’m tired. My brain doesn’t shut off from the things on my “To-Do” list. I really need to send one, last email before going to bed. Maybe I should fold the laundry and finish up the dishes.
Does that sound like you? Too many activities crowding your life and your schedule – and there are more knocking on your door everyday. So many volunteer events that could use your help and other opportunities available.
Where do you draw the line?
When do you make time to rest?
Our lives are busy, no doubt about that, but that non-stop lifestyle does not provide space to enjoy the rhythms of life set up by God. Think of a hamster on a wheel; running and running and going nowhere fast. This culture values work and the ability to make money, but there is little margin to relax and recharge.
God’s design was established at Creation. Resting in God is not necessarily a physical place, but an attitude of the heart. It is allowing the voice of God to speak into our lives and embrace His words of comfort and guidance found in Scripture.
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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)
I love the fact that Jesus isn’t asking us to come when we are calm, strong, and are having no issues. Nope. He tells us to “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” We are invited to come and just rest. Get rid of the anxieties, troubles, and junk we are carrying.
So how do we establish a pattern of rest? By making space in our schedules, leaning into Scripture and discovering important truths. Here are a few things that I have uncovered:
Just breathe. Take a deep breath in and exhale. When life gets crazy busy, know that Jesus loves you, just the way you are, messy life and all.
Take a nap. One of my favorite things to do is nap on Sunday afternoons. It is therapeutic in nature. It allows my body and brain time to unplug from “doing” and regain some energy for the never-ending list of tasks that need to be completed.
Journal. I am a big proponent of writing down thoughts, prayers, and events. It forces me to stop and assess what’s happening and thank God for the many ways He intervened for me.
Talk to someone. Maybe you have an accountability partner that will talk you off the ledge, or a close friend that you can confide in, or even a professional counselor that can give you insights. There is no shame in talking through burdens that are weighing you down and creating stress.
In his book, The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul By Restoring Sabbath, Mark Buchanan writes about helping Christians understand the importance of developing not just the desire to develop a Sabbath heart but also putting it into practice. “Sabbath is both a day and an attitude to nurture stillness. It is both a time on the calendar and a disposition of the heart. Sabbath imparts the rest of God–the things of God’s nature and presence we miss in our busyness.”
One of my favorite songs is “Be Still and Know” by Steven Curtis Chapman (Speechless album, © 1999, Sparrow Records). These lyrics are a call to shed our busyness and be still.
Be still and know that He is God, Be still and know that He is holy
Be still oh, restless soul of mine, Bow before the Prince of Peace
Let the noise and clamor cease…
Be still and know that He is God, Be still and know He is our Father
Come rest your head upon His breast, Listen to the rhythm of His unfailing heart of love
Beating for His little ones, Calling each of us to come
Be still, be still
My prayer is that you can develop a regular rhythm of slowing down. And rest.
