Work Slower, Not Harder
ACTIVATION: Find a spot that is quiet and set a timer for 2-3 minutes. Practice taking in deep breaths and focus your attention on Father God.
Resting, truly resting, is much harder than we would care to admit. The moment we get still and allow our thoughts to rest, we are immediately reminded of the million-and-one things that we should be doing or problems we should be solving. We have taken to resting by scrolling endlessly on social media or pressing play on a streaming service, still absorbing information and others opinions. It feels more comfortable than actually being still and alone with our thoughts and God. It takes practice to be comfortable with even sitting still for a couple of minutes. Why do we feel the need to fill every second of our time and every thought with something? When did our worth and value come from the things we do?
The rhythm of our culture constantly reminds us that we aren’t good enough the way that we are, so we must be fighting to get better and get better fast. The world’s rhythm never slows down enough to allow you to take a breath and rest. God is calling us to a different rhythm. God’s rhythm is much slower and more simple than the one we’ve become accustomed to. When we follow His rhythm of rest, we create space for Him to speak and our bodies to heal. Think about it. If God took an entire day off to rest, why do we think we need even less than that? If Jesus walked everywhere while on a mission to spread the gospel, why do we feel like we have to run to get everything done?
I know it feels like there’s not enough time to complete the checklist and become the person you desire to be. Most of our goals are admirable and sound great: be the best spouse/friend/family member we can be, become a more loving and kind person, keep the house clean, and the list could go on and on! None of those things are bad, but we have become accustomed to striving for them out of our own strength when we have been promised the gift of the power of the Holy Spirit. When we allow the Holy Spirit to do the heavy lifting, then we are able to rest in His mighty power instead of slowly killing ourselves to achieve what we think is a priority. We could beat ourselves up over not being more kind or we could slow down enough to allow the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts. We could plan endless date nights with our spouses, or we could sit still long enough to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal and heal the places in our hearts that are causing us to feel disconnected.
Rest is a vulnerable place to be; it’s not comfortable. There is a reason our culture has figured out a way to fill every waking second with content. But in order to heal and find health, we must learn how to rest in the Father’s love and allow Him to speak to us and fill us with His power and strength. When we allow God to speak to us, it heals us and restores us. He knows exactly what we need to hear and know. He is always speaking to His children; we just have to get still enough to listen.
ACTIVATION: Read Isaiah 43:1-3a NLT below. Ask God to speak to you and write anything you hear or feel down. You can use some of the questions below as examples of things to ask God to share with you. Don’t be afraid to linger and wait on Him.
“But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. “ Isaiah 43:1-3a NLT
God, what do You think of me?
Is there anything You want me to know today?
What do You want me to prioritize today?
What do You like about me?
Is there anything You want to reveal to me right now?
Resting, truly resting, is much harder than we would care to admit. The moment we get still and allow our thoughts to rest, we are immediately reminded of the million-and-one things that we should be doing or problems we should be solving. We have taken to resting by scrolling endlessly on social media or pressing play on a streaming service, still absorbing information and others opinions. It feels more comfortable than actually being still and alone with our thoughts and God. It takes practice to be comfortable with even sitting still for a couple of minutes. Why do we feel the need to fill every second of our time and every thought with something? When did our worth and value come from the things we do?
The rhythm of our culture constantly reminds us that we aren’t good enough the way that we are, so we must be fighting to get better and get better fast. The world’s rhythm never slows down enough to allow you to take a breath and rest. God is calling us to a different rhythm. God’s rhythm is much slower and more simple than the one we’ve become accustomed to. When we follow His rhythm of rest, we create space for Him to speak and our bodies to heal. Think about it. If God took an entire day off to rest, why do we think we need even less than that? If Jesus walked everywhere while on a mission to spread the gospel, why do we feel like we have to run to get everything done?
I know it feels like there’s not enough time to complete the checklist and become the person you desire to be. Most of our goals are admirable and sound great: be the best spouse/friend/family member we can be, become a more loving and kind person, keep the house clean, and the list could go on and on! None of those things are bad, but we have become accustomed to striving for them out of our own strength when we have been promised the gift of the power of the Holy Spirit. When we allow the Holy Spirit to do the heavy lifting, then we are able to rest in His mighty power instead of slowly killing ourselves to achieve what we think is a priority. We could beat ourselves up over not being more kind or we could slow down enough to allow the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts. We could plan endless date nights with our spouses, or we could sit still long enough to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal and heal the places in our hearts that are causing us to feel disconnected.
Rest is a vulnerable place to be; it’s not comfortable. There is a reason our culture has figured out a way to fill every waking second with content. But in order to heal and find health, we must learn how to rest in the Father’s love and allow Him to speak to us and fill us with His power and strength. When we allow God to speak to us, it heals us and restores us. He knows exactly what we need to hear and know. He is always speaking to His children; we just have to get still enough to listen.
ACTIVATION: Read Isaiah 43:1-3a NLT below. Ask God to speak to you and write anything you hear or feel down. You can use some of the questions below as examples of things to ask God to share with you. Don’t be afraid to linger and wait on Him.
“But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. “ Isaiah 43:1-3a NLT
God, what do You think of me?
Is there anything You want me to know today?
What do You want me to prioritize today?
What do You like about me?
Is there anything You want to reveal to me right now?
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