5 Ways to Rest

By: Jenifer Metzger

A car needs gasoline to run. With an empty tank, the car cannot go on.

A phone needs battery to work. With an empty battery, the phone will die.

A lamp needs to be plugged in to work. Without being connected to power, the lamp will not work.

In the same way our car is fueled by gasoline, our phone by battery power, and our lamp by electricity, we are fuel by rest.

Come to me, all you who are weary and

burdened, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28

This world can make us weary. We face chaos, trials, burdens, and work. Our hearts, minds, and spirits become weary and require rest. Not the kind of rest we get by sleeping, though that is vital, but the kind of rest that comes from God alone. He is the only One who can give us the strength to go on.

Think of your phone, you probably never let the battery die. At least not on purpose. When the battery is low, you charge it. Now think of your car, you don't let the car run out of gas before filling it, you fill the tank when it gets low. We don't let these things get to the point of not working, we keep up on it. We need to keep up on resting in God too.

Spend time daily with God.

Be intentional about spending time in prayer and Bible reading daily. When your schedule is full, don't skip this time. When you are tired, do it anyway. When you really just don't want to, that's when you need it most. Meet with God every day.

Give your burdens to God and let go.

Whatever your burden is, give it over to God and leave it. When you take the garbage to the curb for the garbage man, you don't turn around and go back and get it. You leave it there to be taken away. Do this with your burdens. Leave it for God and walk away.

Take a prayer walk.

There is something so powerful and refreshing about taking a walk out in God's creation and talking to Him. It's like your focus switches from the chaos of life to the blessings from God. Try taking a walk each day, even if it's just five minutes around your office building on break or up the street in the morning. Spend that time praising God and letting Him refill you.

Carry a Bible.

We all wait. Whether it's a line at the DMV, a doctor's office waiting room, the car line at your child's school, or traffic is at a stand still. These are great times to pull out the Bible and read a few verses. Replacing the wait with God's Word -instead of social media- can refresh us in a mighty way. Get a small purse size Bible to keep with you. Then you have God's Word without the distractions of your phone and it's a witness to those around you!

Disconnect.

We are connected all the time. Our phones are constantly buzzing with yet another notification. It can be distracting and draining. Schedule some time to disconnect. Tell your family you are turning off your phone, then simply shut it off. Without the phone constantly demanding our attention, we are able to reset and refocus.

What are other ways you rest? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.






It's time for Share A Link Wednesday! Each Wednesday we invite you to leave a link to your latest blog post in the comments. We still desire to connect women of God with one another and encourage each other in Christ. So grab a cup of coffee or glass of sweet tea, sit back and visit a few blogs. Be encouraged and share your own stories.