We have all had moments of rest; however, do you consider yourself to be a “well-rested” woman? There is a difference. A well-rested woman makes her sabbath time a priority because she knows that if she doesn’t choose to step off the hamster wheel of life she will run herself ragged. A well-rested woman knows that her rest is not selfish, but is the key to sustaining the wealth God put inside her to share with the world. A well-rested woman knows that she’s a more thoughtful wife, more patient mom, more strategic boss, more discerning leader, and a more obedient daughter of God when she is living in a place of rest.
God doesn’t call us to be anxious, stressed out, rushing, panicked, exhausted daughters. He calls us to be well rested daughters. And because He takes our rest seriously, we should too.
In Hebrews chapter 4, the writer talks about the rest that we as believers find when we put our trust in the Gospel.
4:1-3 “1 Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2 For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed.”
This is a kind a spiritual rest the requires faith, and God instructs us to be “careful” not to fall short of this rest. Later in the chapter he says,
4:9-11 “ 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.”
While the context of this chapter is a spiritual rest, it can give us useful wisdom about how to achieve and maintain the physical rest that we all need:
Rest deserves to be taken seriously – We’re careful not to fall short in a lot of areas: we go above and beyond for the people we minster to, for our husbands, our parents, our kids. But we have to recognize that taking care of ourselves deserves just as much effort. “Let us be careful” that we don’t fall short in that area.
Rest takes faith – It takes great faith and trust in God to slow down, to pause. We have to trust that even when we’re resting and recharging, He is still working.
Rest takes effort – Sometimes it can take great effort to rest. We have to schedule the time and be intentional with it. We have to make room for it by sometimes saying “no” to other things that might be good. We have to use self-control when we’re tempted to “veg out” because we’re exhausted, and instead spend time in ways that will rejuvenate our souls. God calls us to “make every effort to enter that rest.”
Many of us have busy days of ministry ahead, but even in the midst of the busyness we can choose to be well-rested daughters!
Comments