Choose Rest

Thank You for giving us limits so that when we reach the end of ourselves. When we reach the end of our strength, of our ability, of our cup, You come in and fill. You fill the gaps. You allow us to rest. You are our strength when we are weak. Our limits, our weakness just brings more attention and light to You. And I am so thankful for being reminded that You are God and I am not. I couldn't do any of this life on my own. I am fully dependent and reliant on You, Lord. I would not be who I am or where I am in life without You and Your gift of grace.

We will grow weary and to think that we are immune to that is naive. Weariness is guaranteed on this side of Heaven. He intended for us to make time for rest. He even rested. Rest is good. REST IS GOOD. There's a difference between rest and laziness. They are not the same. He doesn't want us to be lazy. But He wants us to carve out time to rest. And I think society has portrayed rest as a negative thing. We always need to be doing something. We need to go, go, go. It undermines rest, which was etched into creation by our kind Creator. It takes intentionality in the culture we live in to just rest. But that intentionality doesn't return void. We need rest so that we can live out where He's called us to be right now to it's fullest. If we don't rest, we find ourselves pouring from an empty cup. It gives nothing and dries out the entirety of the cup. We can't pour on empty. We can't help on empty. We can't be fully present on empty. We can't live on empty... it's not sustainable. Thank God He allows us and calls us to rely on Him. Because He knows our limits. We all have them, they might look different for each person, but He knows them well. And sometimes we need to set the pride of "but I can do it" aside and choose rest. Choose help. Choose to admit that we cannot do it all, but He can, and accept the hand offered to us.

We live in a culture that pushes the "I can do it" mind set. There is a problem of pride when we live a life believing all things need to be done only by ourselves. It is ok to admit that we need rest. God didn't etch it into Creation by accident. It was intentional. He perfectly showed us how to choose rest. Without rest, we get caught up in our everyday lives and can easily miss realigning our focus on the Lord. The busyness of routine and the continuance of the every day can blur what's supposed to be our center. Rest allows us to turn our eyes off of ourselves and onto Christ. Rest limits us from overworking, over pouring, over exerting, over doing it. Limits can be frustrating, I know. But gosh, I've been thankful for the ability and reminder to rest. Without it, we couldn't do what we are called to with such power, strength, or outpour. Again, running on empty only harms you and the very people you are trying to help. Rest restores.