Rest. Unfortunately, it is a topic rarely talked about. And for many of us, not talking about it is okay. Rest is something that many of us know we need to be better at, but we either don't want to talk about it or don’t know how to take the necessary steps to address the problem. But trust me, rest is something that needs to be discussed and practiced.
God Himself instituted the Sabbath rest. In the beginning God created everything in six days. On the seventh day, Genesis says that God rested. Was God tired? Did God need rest? Of course not! God was illustrating how He designed us to work. He was also showing the importance of rest. He created everything and then He created rest. We were created to work AND to rest. We cannot forget that last part. Many work themselves to death thinking that that is what God designed us for. But it is clear that He designed us to rest.
In the Bible God says, “Be still and know that I am God.” Another way to read this is, “stop and know that I am God.” Stopping to rest leads us to God. Now I know that rest will not fully fix every problem, but it is a very good place to start. Are you anxious? Stop what you are doing and know that God is God. Are you trying to battle addiction? Stop right where you are and know that God is God. Problems in your marriage? Stop and know that God is God. Whatever the problem happening in your life, stop what you're doing, and know that God is God.
Many people think that they are too busy to rest. In my experience, that is exactly when you should take intentional rest as soon as possible. During the time in my life when I was plagued with anxiety, I claimed to be resting but all I was doing was disguising my work as rest. Many other factors caused my anxiety, but a major one was my lack of rest. Rest is vital to healthy relationships and a healthy life.
As always, if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask. If you need to process through the topic of rest, I would love to talk.
Written by Michael Chadwick
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