Rest. We all know rest is good for us. But if we’re being completely honest, most of us don’t get the kind of rest we need. Especially around this time of the year, with all the holiday hustle, rest is the last thing in our minds and we treat it as if it was a task rather than a renewing gift from God. And some of us think rest is the same as being lazy. Which couldn’t be more wrong. As a woman of God, I’d even say that this is a lie from the devil.

As we enter this new year and all the holiday craziness has passed, I want to give you a permission to rest and I want to help you view it from a new perspective: as something that can heal you inside out. We need to see it as a necessity and a blessing, and we need to value it much more. God Himself rested, so we must do the same. If you go through the Old Testament, you notice how rest is constantly talked about. Eze. 34:15, Psalm. 4:8, Isaiah 26:3-4.

So.. resting plays a big part in our well being. And there’s many ways to practice it. Sleep is probably the first thing that comes to mind. And it definitely is important for both our body and mind, but I would call sleep a more physical practice of rest. Even though our physical bodies might be taking a break, our minds might still be working overtime. That’s why you may feel more tired than rested when waking up. How do we find solitude for the mind and the spirit? Simple, it’s found in God.

This generation is all about hustle and shallow solitude. Even in the “quiet” of our homes we have all these little distractions that we foolishly call our resting place. No wonder most of us, if not all, are married to anxiety, depression and stress. And I’m speaking from experience. I came quite familiar with all of these dirty weapons last year. I started working more than before and still I tried to keep up with all these other things outside of work, leaving no time for rest. I wanted to feel productive. And the little time I could’ve spent recharging, I spent watching tv and wasting my time on social media. I was filling my already overworking little mind with “fast food” information. And I felt like I was too tired to spend quiet time with God, even if I knew dwelling in His presence would be the most natural and restful thing to do. And soon enough fell into depression. It got to a point I didn’t feel like doing the things I enjoy doing.

How do we find solitude? Well, true solitude cannot be found on Earth. It is found in the Holy Spirit. The closer we get to God the more calm we feel. That’s because God will give us a peace that surpasses all understanding. You could be going through an anxiety attack, but if you just look to Jesus, He promised to give you His peace ( John 14:27, 2 Tim. 1:7).

Your way of resting might look a little different than mine. I love to take 10 minute naps on the floor, or I might write a poem. You might take rides around old towns or go fishing. I think there is many ways to practice it but there’s two “rules” to finding true rest. It must be something that takes little to zero energy from you, instead it fills you with more energy and it leaves you feeling refreshed. And secondly, your spirit needs to be connected to the Most High One. Isolation is never the answer. You might disconnect from the world around you for awhile, but disconnecting from God brings you to isolation which will cause you to fall back to depression and loneliness. And God says it is not good for us to be alone. Yes I think by this He meant that we need human connections, and I completely agree. But I’d say He also talked about how we are not able live without Him even for a second. He needs to be our Resting Place. Because only He can provide a peace that can truly calm down our spirit. And this is crucial for us to function physically, mentally and spiritually.

I didn’t understand this till recently when Jesus lifted me up from my darkness. I needed to create time for Him, even if it was 10 minutes at a time. I was so mentally and physically exhausted. And I asked Him what I should do, I was out of ideas. And He told me to lean on Him and let go of everything. I needed to let Him do the heavy lifting for me and just focus on Him. The second I gave up all control, I felt calmness take over my body and my mind fell silent. I felt more content and rested than I had for a long time. All I need to do is have the kind of trust in Him that a child has in his parents; he falls asleep in their arms with no fear or doubt, completely trusting that his parents will keep him safe and sound, and all he needs to do is rest. All I need to do is rest in the knowledge that God has all things in control and all I need to do is live to the fullest. This way I am able to be a beautiful blessing to the people around me.

So I pray that during this new year God would fill us all with His peace, the kind of peace that only He provides. And that we would also have physical rest so our bodies would function as they should. That Jesus would replace every anxious thought with His rest and let you shine as the beautiful created being you are. And I pray that God would reveal His love for you even deeper and shower you with great blessings and dreams. In Jesus’ name I pray. And I thank you for taking the time to read my blog and giving your support to my little hobby. I love you and Happ New Year!