Sometimes you really need to rest and start afresh to get better results for your plans.
Rest is something we are designed to do. God has both a purpose and a
plan for it. So maybe it would be helpful to consider some of the
benefits of rest.
1. Rest Re-Orients Our Thinking Patterns
When
we are weary and fatigued, it’s the perfect time for the enemy to sow
his lies and weave a blanket of discouragement we want to curl up under.
Rest
brings our thinking into focus and allows us to see clearly what God
says about what we are facing, in His word and through His past
faithfulness.
Rest brings the reality of God’s strength and
provision into view. We need to remind ourselves that He is the victor.
We need Truth so we can wield it against the enemy’s taunts. Rest
enables us to see the devil as he really is: a liar, cheat, accuser and
more.
2. Rest Refreshes Us
Like a sip of cold water to the thirsty, we’ll never know how much we need rest until we put our feet up.
Worry
and striving will fade away when we allow God to be our source for all
things. When we give our mind and heart some wiggle room, we discover
peace and the strength to open our hands to release the burdens that
weigh us down.
3. Rest Recharges Our Batteries
We can
simply be worn out. Stress, worry, busyness, over-commitment — all of
this wears us down. We need to recharge — and only resting can
accomplish that. There comes a time when we have to just say, “That’s
it. I am taking the time to rest.”
Times of rest are never
wasted. God is God. He is at work even when we sleep. Resting allows for
us to admit we need His strength.
4. Rest Helps Us to Refocus
Fatigue skews our outlook until we are staring in the face of the Deadly-D’s:
Doubt
Discouragement
Defeat
Despair
Rest
helps us to adjust our focus so we can see our situation more clearly.
We gain perspective as we are quiet in God’s presence, immersed in His
word and surrendered to His care.
5. Rest Revives
Once
we succumb to the weariness, our response to things to do or places to
go is apathy. We don’t have the energy — our margin is worn thin and we
would rather hibernate.
Rest revives us with the energy that we lack so that we can flourish and get excited about life again.
[written by Jeanne Doyon]
