BE DILIGENT TO REST!

"There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased form his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest..." Hebrews 4:9-11

Most of us can't enter a Sabbath rest that is being talked about much less rest during the week. It is probably the hardest thing I am trying to learn. Our society does not applaud rest. We live at a frenzied pace that is not good for our bodies or our souls. We race through each day trying to accomplish as much as we can and yet it never gets all done. Our minds set the pace for our bodies. We are distracted with so many to do lists and problems running through our heads. It is a disease that can only be cured through purposeful rest.

I still have so much to learn about resting but here are a few things God has shown me. He says to come to Him when we are weary and heavy laden and He will give us rest. I know most of us are heavy laden every day so we need to enter a resting place with Him. Establish and guard your daily quiet resting time with God. Sit and pray. Listen. Read. Be silent. Don't rush through. Resting for only 10 minutes won't accomplish the deep work He's trying to do in your soul.

Be purposeful about powering down throughout the day. Unplug yourself from the crazy, busy life. Take 5 minutes and move away from your desk. Take a walk. Pray. Clear your mind. Sit and read a book. You will be amazed and what these short little breaks will do for you.

Plan a time each week to do something fun. Treat yourself to a movie, a walk at the beach, a date with your husband or to anything that refreshes you.

Let things go. I am trying to rid myself of my perfectionist tendencies. I constantly remind myself the mental stress isn't worth it. I am working on pushing thoughts out of my mind that aren't healthy for me. Worrying does not bring rest. Learning to rest for me means changing how I see things. It means letting old habits die in exchange for life to my body and mind.

Diligently guard your sleep. Sleep deprivation impairs your immune system, it causes foggy thinking and grouchy attitudes. There isn't one benefit to living on 6 hours of sleep a night but there are dozens to getting 8 or more. I stop my evening so I can be in bed at 8:30 p.m every night. If things aren't done it just doesn't matter. I'm sure they will still be there tomorrow. Because I get to bed at 8:30 I am able to get up at 4:30 a.m. to have a good quiet time with God. It's my "breakfast" and the most healthy thing I can do for my body and heart the entire day.

Enlist the help of a friend who will hold you accountable for your rest. Ask God to show you each day the areas you could do better in. He loves you and will be quick to answer you.

Remind yourself resting is not sin or laziness. It is mandated in the word. God knows we need it. Someone told me recently that all the nutritional things I am doing are very good and beneficial but my healing will come from Resting In The Lord!

You may not need a physical healing but I am sure the Lord will heal you of many other things as you purposefully begin to enter His rest on a daily basis.

REMEMBER TO
REST AND
RELAX!

I would love to hear what God does as you enter that place!