Mar 25

Mar 25 3 Revolutionary Ways to View Rest

Can we take a guess at how your day might be going today? You're a little tired... Things to do....people all around who need you? Moms, we get it. That's us too. So we're sharing three revolutionary ways to find rest in the midst of your today.

I might know a few things about you.

1. You're busy. So busy, you'll probably only be able to skim through this post.

2. You're a mom. Therefore, you have stuff to do... Help your kids. Be there for your husband. Manage the home. And very likely, work some kind of job beyond your home and family.

3. You long for rest.

With everything you have to do, all you have on your mind, and the stress it all brings, you struggle to find real rest.

Different stages of life bring different challenges. Being a mom of babies and toddlers differs from the challenges of parenting teens, yet through it all, you and I both long for quiet. A quiet moment, a quiet night, a quiet heart.

Here are three things I've been learning about rest on this motherhood journey.

Knowing these can revolutionize the way you view rest.

1. Rest comes from recognizing my limits.

I have to be content with being small. Finite. Imperfect. Incapable of achieving everything I wish I could achieve.

I have to accept who I am and the limitations that come with being human: limited time, energy, and resources.

I cannot do it all. And God wants me to recognize that. He alone is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-present.

I can lay down and rest because I know He doesn't slumber or sleep. He's got the world in His hands... therefore, I don't have to.

2. Rest begins internally.

Even though I'm tempted to believe that true rest can only happen if I have two weeks at a peaceful island resort, that's simply not true. True rest always begins with the heart. I must trust Jesus. Entrust Him with my soul, of course, and then entrust Him with the craziness of my life.

Instead of begging Him to change all of my circumstances, I need to trust that His grace is sufficient for all of this.

I need to be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10). I must cease striving internally in order to find any kind of rest.

3. When I'm doing these first two things—accepting my own limitations and trusting God to be God—I'll finally be able to succeed at resting externally.

Instead of striving to "make something of myself," I'll allow myself to sit down outside for a few extra moments to marvel at God's creation.

Instead of demanding perfection and complete control of my home environment, I'll be freed to pause and truly connect with my beloved family.

Instead of forcing myself to check off the next item on my to-do list, I'll be willing to be slow down enough to receive the blessings that come from friendships, or stillness, or a nap, or a peaceful walk.

Busy mom... I feel your pain! But today, will you just stop for a moment and ask Jesus to help you gain a fresh perspective?

Ask Him to help you embrace your limits, to not push yourself beyond what He wills you to do.

Ask Him for help to trust Him and relinquish control.

And ask Him for those still moments that feed the soul and bring about the rest for which you're longing.