By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
Genesis 2:2-3

But in the seventh year the land is to have a year of sabbath rest, a sabbath to the Lord. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards. 5 Do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the grapes of your untended vines. The land is to have a year of rest. 
Leviticus 25:4-6

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I sat in my living room, frozen on the couch. The hum from the air conditioner accompanied the chatter in my mind. I looked around the room. TV. Fireplace. Dog toys. Everything sat so still. Why couldn’t my thoughts join them?

I wouldn’t stand a chance if there was a resting contest. Tell me to relax, and my brain runs with thoughts of all the things I should be doing. Laundry needs to be put away. Carpets need to be vacuumed. Mail needs to be sorted. Household tasks seem endless.

But Jesus calls us to rest anyway.

The God of the Universe, who has endless power and strength, rested himself on the seventh day. Now, if God even rested, we definitely need to. We are human, living with human bodies with aching feet and tired brains. If we are going to accomplish all God has called us to do, we need to take time to rest.

One reason it’s so hard for me to rest is I am afraid it’s not all going to get done—the laundry, the vacuuming, and the mail sorting.  I tell myself if I am resting, then I’m being irresponsible. There’s too much to do. I have not earned it.

But the opposite is true. Resting is being responsible. When we rest and take care of ourselves, we are caring for our temple. We’re fueling our bodies and minds to accomplish God’s plans for our lives.

I am still a resting work in progress. I’m trying to get comfortable with the quiet and stillness, pausing from life’s demands to refuel. God has great work for us in this life, but we can’t carry it out running on fumes. We work, then we rest. This is the example God gave to us in Genesis and Leviticus. This is the pattern that will help us  to be our healthiest, and in the end most productive, version of ourselves.

Next Steps

1. Do you make time to rest? Use a pen to add rest into your calendar this week. Honor this commitment like you would any other appointment.
2. Listening to worship music can be a great way to calm our minds. Spend some time listening to your favorite artist this week without doing anything else. Let the music and words wash over you.