Is it time to rest?

It was in college that I discovered my propensity to fall asleep when I read.

Apparently, it wasn’t just the boring textbooks, because I still do it today. I also fall asleep on car rides and while watching TV in the afternoons/evenings. Sometimes we just need to rest a little. For me, it seems to be forced upon me rather than it being an intentional choice.

Every now and then, the mental and physical join forces and make me even more exhausted than normal. After a recent move, I was feeling particularly worn out. I decided I needed to try to “sleep it off” and went to bed at 8:30pm. 11 ½ hours later I finally woke up, feeling a little more normal again. The aches and pains I was experiencing had finally subsided.

Our bodies and minds have limits. We can only push ourselves so far before something collapses. It may be our body. It may be our patience. It may be both.

I must remind myself that I have limits. That we all have limits. I am reminded that even Jesus rested. He knew his time on earth was finite, yet he still slowed down at times. He would rest, get away, and spend time in prayer.

It makes me realize how hard it is to push ourselves to exhaustion AND spend time with the

LORD at the same time. Spending time in prayer has a way of slowing life down and allowing a chance to regain some perspective. To lay some burdens down.

A long nap can certainly do the body good, but it is the LORD who refills the soul.

Questions

Do you ever push yourself to exhaustion?

What does exhaustion look like for you (sleepiness, impatience, irritability, stress, anxiety, desperation)?

Do you find that spending time with God slows down the pace of your life?

What can we learn from Jesus and how he took time to rest?

Do prayer and rest go hand in hand?

Where does your rest come from? (You or the Lord?)

Scripture

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11: 28-30