Rest in Christ

“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

Rest is something I’ve never taken seriously, but it eventually caught up to me. I’m notorious for pushing myself to my physical limits, going full speed without a break, and not taking time to recharge. My background is in the fitness industry where we throw around sayings like, “No pain, no gain” or, “Keep grinding” or, “Go hard or go home.” These catchphrases make for awesome T-shirts, but they’re not sustainable mindsets.

Never allowing yourself to rest or recharge is the perfect recipe for disaster. There is a time for resilience, perseverance, pressing through, and sacrifice, but we must pay attention to the warning signs our body sends when it’s had enough. When we ignore these signals, we run the risk of burning out. Rest is important!

Our bodies need rest to recover, recharge, and repair. Rest isn’t a suggestion, it’s a necessity. Often, we choose not to rest because we lack trust. We think that if we take time off, the thing we’re working on will fall apart. Whether it’s a physical, financial, or material goal, we are afraid that if we stop pushing forward, everything will crumble.

We must trust that God will cover us in our moments of rest. Our results won’t be lost when we take a break. In fact, we will come back stronger and more focused. If we take time off, we will be reenergized and able to pour more into our professional and personal pursuits. When we surrender control and begin to understand that God is with us even when we rest, we start to see the value in taking time off.

Heavenly Father, I give You all my worries. I’ve operated in my own strength for too long. Give me a rest that comes only from having an intimate relationship with You. Renew me, recharge me, and revitalize my spirit. Into Your hands I submit my life because You are in total control. I pray all this in the power of Jesus’ name, amen.

In what areas in your life do you need to relinquish control? How has a lack of trust affected your performance? What specific burdens do you need to let go of and allow God to restore you through rest? Journal your answers to these questions.

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Content taken from Pray First Challenge: 60 Devotions to Grow in Faith, Family, Fitness, Finances, and Future by Andrew F. Carter ©2024. Used by permission of Chosen Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group.