Embracing Rest
During this lifetime, we only get one physical body that we must steward well.
Stewardship is defined as “the job of supervising or taking care of something.”
I feel happy, then sad, excited then depressed, confident then unsure, faithful then fearful. I am tired!!
I am so overstimulated in this world that I cannot find my place of rest.
Circumstances, people, events, and certainly the news are often attacking my sensory system and my rest
people can often exacerbate, irritate, and exhaust me. I love people one minute, and they drive me nuts the next.
But God said, “Be still and know that I am God.”
Where is Your stillness in my busy world?
In this crazy, confusing, and chaotic world, how does one find REST for their soul?
Daily, mounting stress can lead to burnout when you are constantly on the go.
We cannot ignore our need for rest and hope it will go away.
This message discusses 7 areas to consider and find rest.
It encourages the reader to take time to carve regular moments for selfcare leading to intentional REST.
Roxanne Parks | YouVersion
Embracing Rest
PHYSICAL REST
Physical rest gives our bodies a chance to restore and decrease muscle tension, reduce headaches, and promote higher quality sleep.
From the beginning of His written Word (Gen 2:1-3), God himself demonstrates the standard of rest.
Jesus continued and modeled as an example to us.
Jesus rested after teaching and laying hands on the sick (Mark 1).
He even told his disciples to go somewhere secluded to rest (Mark 6:31-32).
During this lifetime, we only get one physical body that we must steward well.
Stewardship is defined as “the job of supervising or taking care of something.”
1 Corinthians 6 tells us that our bodies are temples to be honored.
Even though scripture says (Ps 139:13-14) we were created fearfully and wonderfully,
our aging bodies are also temporary and need wisdom to “be taken care of.”
At a minimum, we need food, water, sunshine, and rest for survival.
As long as we are housed in these bodies, we are to steward them.
When our bodies are exhausted, broken, or malnourished, we cannot function properly.
The condition of our bodies affects the condition of our minds and our souls as we are interconnected beings.
Make it your priority to choose physical rest.
Embracing Rest
Let Us Pray:
“Lord, You created my body as a temple for Your dwelling. Help me physically rest to steward the gift of my temple.
I will do this actively through particular body movements and exercise. And I will also pursue the necessary nutrition and sleep that my temple requires.
Lord, I realize that You knit me fearfully and wonderfully in my mother’s womb for a specific time as this and clothed me in flesh.
Teach me how to be a greater steward of this blessing and choose the opportunities of physical rest wisely.”
Genesis 2:1-3 KJV
[1] Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
[2] And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
[3] And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
https://bible.com/bible/1/gen.2.1-3.KJV
Embracing Rest
MENTAL REST
Mental rest is the ability to quiet cerebral chatter – all the voices and all the choices racing through our minds.
And Mental rest allows us to focus on things that really matter.
Each of us has thoughts racing through our minds.
Some of us are over-thinkers and exhausted by such.
But, Some of that overthinking is pure “vain-imaginations” leading to weariness and fatigue.
The Lord offers us a “peace that passes all understanding (Phil 4:7).” What a gift to receive.
If you want to have less mental noise, then you must consider resting in the power that resides in the promises of God.
Most of our mental health exhaustion comes from fear, depression, anxiety, and comparison/perfectionism.
Any search will find that scripture is replete with truths that address these issues and lead us into greater mental rest.
We must take our thoughts captive to the truth.
The Lord says in Jeremiah, “For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul (31:25).”
When mental weariness causes us to become weak and drained, God is ready, willing, and able to refresh us and satisfy each need.
He goes before us and with us so we can walk into each new day unafraid.
And He invites us to rest as we dwell in His shelter and to rest in His shadow.
Embracing Rest
Let Us Pray:
“Lord, You tell me to take every thought captive and warn against vain imaginations.
With the gift of Your indwelling Spirit, You bring confidence that I have the mind of Christ within.
You promise mental rest for those whose mind is steadfast because they trust in You.
Lord, You are faithful and trustworthy.
Since you go BEFORE me and WITH me…and since You have a good plan for me… and since You cannot fail or forsake me…I can go forward into each new day unafraid!
Thank You for the pure mental rest that comes when I walk in the promise of Your peace which passes all understanding.”
Philippians 4:7 KJV
[7] And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Embracing Rest
SPIRITUAL REST
Do you wrestle with the guilt of an overwhelmed life?
Often, we have a long list of things to do on the performance treadmill.
This daily cycle can seem never-ending, and you can easily get caught trying to keep up with life’s frenetic pace.
When was the last time you took time to nourish your spirit and your soul?
The Word of God gives us help to find spiritual rest and replenishment.
SPIRITUAL REST comes when we take on His yoke (Matt 11:29) and stop our attempts to carry the load.
We are each empowered by the Holy Spirit as we live FROM His strength and not FOR this world’s performance treadmill.
Spiritual rest comes when we tether our peace of mind to the character and faithfulness of our Sovereign God and not to people, events, or circumstances.
This rest comes through an intimate relationship of trust with our God.
We are not in charge of this world.
Spiritual rest comes as we give up the control fight and surrender to listen to the voice of our Sovereign Good Shepherd.
He goes before us and with us and will lead us by His righteous right hand (Is 41:10). That is such good news.
Embracing Rest
Let Us Pray:
“Lord, You created me in Your image, which is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Before the world was created, You existed as the great I AM! Your Spirit in me is my hope of glory.
Help me walk fully alive by Your Spirit and not in my flesh.
Your Holy Word reminds me that to be spiritually alive is living FROM You and THROUGH You, not from my flesh or my own efforts.
Free my heavy spirit to walk in the Spiritual rest that comes with the light of Your Spirit fully flourishing in and through me.”
Isaiah 41:10 KJV
[10] Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Embracing Rest
EMOTIONAL REST
Emotions are like the warning lights on our car dashboard.
They are simply indicators or messengers.
Our emotions tell a story…possibly that something is awry, or something is delightful.
Emotions can be messy, but they also can be manageable.
They are not permanent, as our feelings can come and go.
When our emotions make us feel that a situation is hopeless, we need to remind ourselves that with God, there is always hope!
Jeremiah 29:11 says: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”
We all have emotional needs for love, security, acceptance, and protection.
An intimate relationship with the Lord can lead us to a rich place to express feelings authentically and find emotional rest and satisfaction.
He promises to strengthen us and uphold us (Is 41:10).
As indicators, our emotions signal that it is time to seek the Lord in prayer for truth and His eternal perspective.
Phil 4:6-7 encourage us to be anxious for nothing but to take all of our requests to God.
Our emotions should not be left unattended.
After we recognize and identify our emotions, we should take them to God and evaluate them in the light of God’s Word.
We need to feel them and then practice releasing them.
Are your emotions lined up with the ways of the world?
Or are they lined up with His truth?
Do you need emotional rest by allowing God to renew our minds with Truth?
John 14:27 KJV
[27] Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Embracing Rest
Let Us Pray:
“Lord, I am often exhausted and overwhelmed by all the emotions pulsing through my days.
I feel happy, then sad, excited then depressed, confident then unsure, faithful then fearful. I am tired.
You offer me peace, not as the world offers peace, but a peace beyond all understanding and comprehension.
I want that peace.
Help me daily to choose to receive Your gift of peace so that I can hover and soar above the chaos of my world.
Emotions can be so deceiving and not line up with Your truths. They are fickle and can come and go.
Help me to settle on the solid ground of my identity in Your truths.
Free me from the bondage of emotional exhaustion.”
Philippians 4:6-7 KJV
[6] Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
[7] And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Embracing Rest
SENSORY REST
From the time we are born, especially as little babies, we have constantly used all five of our senses to navigate and understand our world.
No wonder we can experience sensory overload and feel a bit overwhelmed.
The enemy can even use our senses to steal, kill, and destroy our rest (John 10:10).
Sensory rest is our opportunity to downgrade the endless onslaught of sensory input received from electronics, fragrances, and background noise.
Psalm 46:10 tells us to BE STILL and KNOW that I am God.
This may be a call to turn off all the sensory stimulation into a rich rest.
Can we sit still in the simple and beautiful “quiet” and find rest? Do we need some outer stimulation?
Which of your five senses most needs a break?
Could your eyes use some rest from all the images we see each day?
And Could your ears use some quiet time by experiencing pure silence?
Also, Could you treat your tastebuds to something that tastes divine and not mundane?
Or, Could your sense of touch be heightened through a hot bath in the dark, just relaxing to help you center?
Are you inundated with too many smells?
Choose your favorite smells and incorporate them into your day.
Consider the smell of nature after a cleansing rain.
And Consider sensory rest and quieting your soul as a part of your daily personal care plan.
Choose a season to sit in the quiet and “be still and know that He is God.” He is a good God who knows your every need.
Embracing Rest
Let Us Pray:
“Lord, I am so overstimulated in this world that I cannot find my place of rest.
Circumstances, people, events, and certainly the news are often attacking my sensory system and my rest in You alone.
You said, “Be still and know that I am God.” Where is Your stillness in my busy world?
Help me to realize that my sensory busyness is a scheme of my enemy to rob, steal, and destroy my rest…to take me from peace into chaos through every sense of my being.
Show me where I can rest my senses throughout the day.
I know You beckon Me and my senses to be filled and overflowing with Your indwelling wholeness.
I submit to You rest and peace and choose not to be overly stimulated any longer.”
Psalm 46:10 KJV
[10] Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
Embracing Rest
SOCIAL REST
Social rest comes from the wisdom to recognize the impact of relationships.
There are those relationships that revive us, and there are those that exhaust us.
No man is an island, even if we want to be. We cannot exist without others.
There is power in a social community.
As Christians, 1 Cor. 6:15 reminds us that we are all part of the body of Christ.
We are each uniquely gifted with different functions to bless and serve others.
God has equipped us to work together for the greater good.
This breeds fellowship with one another.
As a community, we can advance God’s kingdom, encourage each other, build each other up, and help bear each other’s burdens.
These types of social relationships are life-giving.
On the other hand, we must take time to reflect and define what our current social networks look like for our own health and well-being.
Are they life-giving? Encouraging? Edifying?
Many of us crave social connection but can also be overstimulated or burdened by such.
Also, we must remind ourselves that social media screens do not bring genuine connections.
Ecclesiastes reminds us that there is a time and a season for everything under the sun; time for social engagement and time for social rest.
In the great scheme of social connecting, a few certain relationships are beneficial in our Christian community.
Advantageously, we seek a mentor—
someone who has gone ahead of us whereby they can share experiences and broaden our perspective, like the apostle Paul was to Timothy (2 Timothy 1).
It is also useful to have someone who knows your current life intimately and can pick up on what you might need in an emergency—a friend that sticks closer than a brother (Prov 18:24).
Let’s all be wise and choose our social connections carefully in order to thrive.
Embracing Rest
Let Us Pray:
“Lord, You designed each of us to be in a relationship, first with You and then with those around us, our neighbors.
Your design for creation came through humans and family groups. You also encourage us to gather in fellowship with others.
However, people can often exacerbate, irritate, and exhaust me. I love people one minute, and they drive me nuts the next.
Open my eyes to the realization of Your purposes for social rest.
Teach me that relationships with others are to be life-giving as you call us “to build and encourage others”
and to “let nothing come out of our mouths that doesn’t encourage and build the ears that hear.”
Teach me to be a life-giving friend, spouse, parent, and neighbor.
Help me learn Your ways for healthy relationships and the social rest that I need.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1 KJV
[1] To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
Embracing Rest
CREATIVE REST
What does the Bible say about creativity?
Genesis 1:1, the very first scripture, describes a creative act as “God created the heavens and the earth.”
In Genesis, the Bible also says, “God created man in his own image (Gen 1:27).”
This could be interpreted that we are creators just as God created us.
However, we spend most of our energy on survival and maintaining a semblance of normalcy; spending time being creative can feel like a luxury.
Creative rest allows you to slow down and be inspired to create.
It takes choosing stillness to make room for creativity. We are each creative.
He created us with skills to create (Ex 35:5).
The proof comes in recognizing that we create relationships, art, homes, cities, nations, and many more things, including inventions yet to be known!
The creative spirit placed within us is certainly favored by God and our fellow man and is worth pursuing.
Intentionally seek to be more creative as creative rest can put a smile on our face,
whether that’s by painting, crafting, singing, dancing, or whatever your personal favorite is.
Seek the Creator as you create!
Embracing Rest
Let Us Pray:
“Lord, You are the Creator of all.
At Your word, the galaxies, the mountains, and the oceans came into being.
You knit my inward parts to be fashioned in Your image—as a creator.
As a reflection of You, I know that I am more creative than I might dare to dream.
Help stimulate my creative purposes and spare me from creating vain imaginations that don’t align with Your good and perfect will for my life.
Lead me to the outlet of creating and creativity that reflects Your nature within me.
Release the suppression of innovative and creative bondage and lead me into Your creative rest.”
Also Read: The Night with a Mosquito – Diademng (thediademng.org)
Embracing Rest
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