If you needed this today: it's okay to rest!

Hey Ladies,

Have you ever reached towards the end of a long week feeling completely wiped out from all of the interactions, tasks, and weekly to-do lists only to be bombarded with an even longer list of things that need to be done the following week? Or are you that person that feels that in order to be productive you need to work tirelessly with little to no breaks in between. Luckily for you, I'm sure we can all agree that like me we have all experienced both feelings simultaneously.

In today's fast-paced, constantly connected world, finding rest can seem like a dream that never ends. We are constantly bombarded and beaten down with information, expectations, and the pursuit of success. However, as Christians, we have a unique source of rest and peace to draw from: our faith in Jesus Christ. In this week's blog post, we will explore the concept of rest in the context of our faith and how we can find true, lasting peace in a hectic world.

This last week was really hard. I was stretching myself endlessly to complete my responsibilities to no avail. Recently, I did something really brave though. I let the mask fall and allowed myself to be seen, no gimmicks and no tricks. For the longest time, I unknowingly believed that I needed to do more or accomplish more in order to make up for the ways in which I felt I lacking weeks earlier. I was overcompensating for so long, my body had no choice to respond to the pressure.

As a result, I had a panic attack. My body had been silently shutting down and I hadn't yet noticed. I was far past exhausted: I couldn't think straight. My stomach was in knots, my throat was constricted and tight and I was floating between hot and cold as my body tried desperately to re-regulate itself again. Not to mention, my immune system was fighting overtime so I wouldn't fall sick.

Can you even begin to fathom how actually scary that must have felt to experience these new, unfamiliar feelings in a situation where I already felt I didn't have much control? I conditioned myself to carry burdens that were never mine to hold. It appeared as though in my striving, I felt strong; that I could do it all alone.

This unconscious desire to strive; to strain and struggle is a symptom of pride. It's one thing to be working diligently to fulfill the call that God has placed before you. It's another to work so intensively so that it stops being about the work itself, but how much you can get done in a given week. Worse than that, is that beat ourselves up if we don't get everything. It's like we find more validation from the checkmarks on our to-do lists than the process of getting those things done. Somehow we begin to think about what the work we do says about your worth. Having goals are great, being successful is a great thing because it provides purpose and meaning to our life. But to accomplish our goals isn't always worth it if you are not taking time out to rest and allow your body to take care of itself.

Even when you find yourself in a situation like the one I was in, where you are left striving, there's still some good you can find when you look to Christ in moments of uncertainty and overwhelm.

Matthew 11:28-30 CSB calls us to rest and says this:

28 Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your soul. 30 For my yoke is easy and my [burden is light].

As Christians, we are called to a different kind of rest. Jesus invites us to come to Him and find rest for our souls. This rest is not just about physical relaxation but the inner peace that comes from a relationship with our Savior. In no way did God tell us that it was our responsibility to sustain ourselves, but calls us to find rest through the Glory brought by His Son. When Jesus died on the cross that day, it meant that our sins were covered, striving had seized and the future we craved was now secure. We no longer have to earn rest because it had been given to us free of charge.

In Galatians 2:15-21 and Galatians 3:10-18 CSB Paul explains that rest is found through the freedom of the law and not in spite of it when he says this:

15 We are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners, and yet because we know that a person is [not justified by the works of the law] but by faith in Jesus Christ; even we ourselves have believed in Christ Jesus. 16 This is so we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law because by the works of the law is no human justified..." Galatians 2:15-21 CSB

Rest was no longer about our actions, but instead focused on the faith and freedom of who we are as heirs in Christ. Galatians 3:10-14 goes as far as to say this,

10 For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, because it is written everyone that does not do everything that is in the book of the law is cursed. 11 Now it is clear that [no one] is justified before God by the law because [the righteous] will live by faith. 12 The law is not based on faith[....] 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law because it is written, Cursed is everyone who is hung up on a tree. 14 The purpose was that the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles by Christ Jesus so that we could recieve the promised spirit [through faith].

If you needed to hear this today: it's okay to rest. It's okay to stop to take a breathe every once in a while. You don't have to be or do everything for everyone. You can rest on the fact that God has gifted us with the ultimate burden bearer and most faithful friend to help carry our loads when we no longer can anymore. If this post encouraged you today, comment "GUILT FREE" as a reminder that there is no shame, nor guilt or condemnation that comes from knowing, moving and living out the truth of who you have been calling to be in Christ.