I'm going to get real practical with this information I'm about ready to give you.
But first, I need to get my preach on. Promise you won't check out on me? This information is essential!
On the seventh day, God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation. Genesis 2:2-3
Look at this closely.
"On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation". (Italics are my emphasis)
God rested, so we should too.
AND one more fantastic piece that we must soak in; God declared the 7th day of rest HOLY!
Listen, it's holy to rest.
That's good news!
I'll be honest. I struggle to rest because I like to work.
Recently the Lord spoke to me about rest. It was a gift, so I want to share it with you.
"Resting is necessary for impact. Come to me when you are burdened, and I will give you rest. REAL REST.
Refreshment.
Energy
Solitude
Time
The time I have is endless. Nothing you have to do supersedes the plans I have for you. Rest in Me. Work with me. Ask me. I'm faithful to show you ALL things. See when you spend time with me how your problems melt into the sun. I have an answer for everything. When you don't hear from me, rest in the peace of waiting."
Rest restores us and reconnects us to our Father.
Now, I know what you might be thinking. I don't have time to rest, and when I do, I can't relax because I have so much to do.
Here are the top three P’s that I do to ensure rest happens.
1. Plan it.
Yep, you heard that right. You actually have to sit down with your calendar and find time to rest. We plan big dinner, birthday, and special occasion parties, why can't we plan rest parties? I'm serious. Look at your calendar today and find a chunk of time you can completely rest. Then, get in the habit of doing it regularly.
2. Prioritize it!
My husband and I prioritize vacations. We just recently took a week off to get away and spend precious time with our family.
You will do what you plan and prioritize.
3. Pause technology.
When I rest, I often detox from social media.
I also have this great app called Boomerang. It "pauses" my email inbox (and gives an out-of-office message if I turn it on) and holds my emails in a folder that I can not see until I unpause my box. It's brilliant! Now I'm not checking my emails when I'm trying to rest. (Check out Boomerang here:https://www.boomerangapp.com/)
From my family to yours, I pray this information challenges you to take a step towards instituting rest into your own life.
Love,
Christy