Feeling Run Down?
When was the last time you got some real rest, friend?
Something I never expected in my adulthood is how tired I would feel. There are days when, even after a full night’s sleep, I still feel groggy for a large portion of the day. After a while, work and life just have a way of grating down on a person’s mind, nerves, and body…
As a minister, I am bi-vocational, often working multiple jobs to finance projects and cover bills. While work definitely has value, there is value in rest as well. For me, learning to make time for rest has made all the difference in my life - helping me to maintain a more stable, peaceful mindset, keep stress levels down, and has deepened my dependance in the Lord. So much of our culture encourages us to overwork ourselves. We’ve all heard the “go out and hustle” motivational sayings and I have personally seen “time to rise and grind” coffee mugs more times than I can count in stores. I’m afraid our modern culture has glamorized busyness… Pushing your energy’s limits seems nice in theory, but all work and no rest leads to a nervous breakdown.
Jesus encourages us to come to Him and rest.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
- Matthew 11:28 NIV
Rest is important because you are important. I know what it is like to have people who need your help and lots of pressing matters to attend to. I know that we are often taught to put others’ needs before our own. However, asking myself this question has helped me remember to slow down: “Do I want to take a voluntary small rest now or a mandatory BIG rest later when my body and mind force me to?” You would take the small rest, right? Good! So, do it friend.
I used to run around putting out one “fire” after another, only to turn around and find that my own personal life was crashing down. I wasn’t sleeping enough. I couldn’t find time to clean my house. I was denying myself a day off. Finally, one day my brain felt overloaded, and I looked down to see that my hands were shaking. I had taken on too much. I have talked with other women I know about this and found it to be a common issue - which makes sense, we women care so much about everyone around us. A few of the beautiful, selfless ladies I know focus so much on feeding their kids that they themselves forget to take a sip of water for a few days and have ended up in the hospital. This lesson may seem so trivial, but it’s important. Rest is vital because you are vital. No one can fill the roles you have like you can. No one could ever replace you, so take care of you, too.
“Jesus said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27 AMP
Sabbath is another word for rest, and God created it to be a gift. It’s a chance to pause, assess your well-being, and replenish what’s missing. When we don’t stop and do this, what is depleted inside of us only gets worse and worse… and worse. Your physical needs matter so much to the Lord, so don't put your wellbeing on the back burner. Today, take some time to rest and give your mind, body, and soul what it needs for the week ahead.
Love you,
-Kelly
