You Do Not Need to Rest

I have been living a lie this week. The lie that says “you don’t need to rest.” And frankly, it’s exhausting! Like to the point that I debated whether I would eat lunch or take a nap. Why? I’ve been doing too much and not resting. And that is a problem! When I listen to this lie I become less effective for ministry and every other area in my life.

Too Busy

Not resting is a family trait. Yes I come by it quite honestly. The past week I’ve been preparing for a wedding shower and my first College Girls Ministry event, on top of a trip to Canton for First Monday with my friends from work, and then I have my regular weekly Bible Study (Best time of my week). Don’t forget that at some point my house needs to be cleaned and laundry needs to get done. And here is the deal, all of these are GOOD things, they were things I really wanted to do; some of them were essential. However they all have been hitting at the same time and I am beyond wiped out.

Listening to the Lies and The Lord Steps In

All along the way I’m listening to the enemy say to me “keep moving,” “Work faster, work harder” “Oh, you haven’t gotten to that yet? You are a terrible person and a terrible wife.” Man, the enemy has been in my head. The enemy is a deceiver, it is his character by nature. The Lord tells us to be on guard against him and to stand firm in the midst of battle. But have you ever gotten to the point where you just wanted to sit down and take a nap? Ya’ll I am so there.

Earlier this week, I got a text asking me if I was going to be somewhere yesterday. And again I felt the need to put on my superwoman hat. Yesterday as I struggled about what to do I heard the Lord remind me, to rest. I am an introvert by nature, I need alone time to recharge my batteries, but here is the deal.  I cannot just rest physically, I must rest in Christ. All through Psalms we are reminded to rest, rest in Him, find shelter in Him. God commanded a day of rest to the Israelites. And this morning, the Lord so clearly called to my heart and reminded me that I must slow down. I must resist the urge to keep going and stop and find rest in Him.

You may be thinking, “Great, I am SO there, how do I do that?” It’s really simple, but so often we reject it.

• Stop. Sometimes this involves saying no. Like me, I had to say no yesterday. It means stopping and recognizing the enemy is in my head and he does not belong there.
• Sleep, sit down, stop doing whatever you are doing and be still. Get some physical rest. 
• Spend time with the Lord. As I mentioned before physical rest is not enough. This is where we take it up a notch and rest in Christ. My favorite ways to rest in the Lord are to dive into the Word and write in my journal. 

Slowing Down So You Can Pour Into More
Sound weird doesn’t it? But it’s true. I have to slow down, and rest in the Lord so that I am able to pour into people. When I don’t do this I become ineffective for the kingdom. I become so worn down that I cannot help anyone. Right now, I’m lucky to complete a sentence correctly (thank you auto correct). Don’t forget, the reality is that we cannot help anyone anytime in our own power. Only the Lord working through us is really able to reach others and speak truth into them. And when we are worn down and not resting in the Lord we are no help to anyone.

For me, this is a constant process. I know that I will always struggle with being too busy. I must always be aware of the enemy speaking lies to me. I must take those thought captive and replace them with truth. That's why "you don't need to rest" is such a lie. Resting is essential so we can be effective.

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