Lately I’m discovering what it really means to rest. I’m used to being busy, so the concept of resting has always been a bit unfamiliar to me. Mostly I thought it meant taking a nap (which is one of my favorite past-times) on the weekends, but now I understand it actually goes much deeper.
Resting requires that I take time out from the world and plug into God. It means finding a quiet place with no distractions so I can hear from Him clearly. It means becoming still. If I’m at home, it means turning off Netflix or Hulu, and resisting the urge to scroll through my phone for the latest news headlines or Facebook posts or Twitter tweets. Or I could go for a walk around the neighborhood or on a hiking trail.
The point is for me to find a spot where I can talk to God and be open to receive from Him. These moments are beautiful and powerful. It’s where He instructs me, teaches me, affirms me, encourages me, reminds me of His promises. It’s where He recalibrates my mind, regulates my thoughts, re-energizes me, strengthens me, and gives me peace.
It’s Not Always Easy
It’s not always easy for me to get quiet and become still, because I can get caught up in the busy routine of my daily life. Sometimes my mind is racing so much with ideas and mental lists of things to do that it’s a real struggle to turn everything off. And if I sit for too long, my mind tends to wander. So I know this is going to require discipline, dedication, and commitment from me. But it’s so worth it.
What prompted this revelation? Well, recently I woke up feeling absolutely miserable. I felt unhappy, unfulfilled, unmotivated, completely drained of all my energy, and it seemed to come out of nowhere. It took every ounce of strength I had to go to work. I always look forward to taking my lunch breaks, because it allows me to get away from the office for an hour. I use that time to decompress and regroup. Most times, I’ll sit in my car. Sometimes I’ll use my phone to watch a message on YouTube for inspiration. Sometimes I’ll read or pray. On this particular day, I watched a message and the topic was learning how to rest.
Have you ever heard a word that came at just the right time and was EXACTLY what you needed to hear? Well, that message did it for me. What I needed at that moment was to rest, and to really be in the presence of God. So after work I went straight home, kept the TV off, didn’t look at my phone, and just sat on the couch and got quiet. I focused on my breathing. I prayed and asked God to heal me and infuse me with His strength, to please speak to my heart. And you know what? He did!
I also went to bed early that night so I got several hours of much needed sleep. When I woke up the next morning I was completely re-energized. My mind was clear. The heaviness was gone. I felt strong and ready to face the day. And I felt much closer to God.
That was a pivotal moment for me, because it really became clear how I should truly rest. It means spending quality, quiet time alone with God without distractions. And yes, it can also mean taking naps so I can rest my mind and body. I’ve learned I must intentionally set aside time to rest on a regular basis, and I’m fully committed to doing so. It’s a way I can show God that my relationship with Him is my top priority, and that I appreciate Him and want to deepen my walk with Him.
Maybe that was the reason God allowed me to feel so miserable that day. Maybe that was my divine appointment to receive the blessing of learning the true meaning of rest so I can not only become closer to Him, but so I can learn how to live my best life.
