Day Seventy-Four

PLEASE REST

It’s useless to rise early and go to bed late, and work your worried fingers to the bone. Don’t you know he enjoys giving rest to those he loves?

—PSALM 127:2 MSG

Brave people recognize that there are times when you have to stop.

Listen, I’m all about the hustle. You’ve got to work. You’ve got to exercise. You’ve got to say yes. You’ve got to try. You’ve got to work hard, my friend. For sure.

But hustling for 365 days is not what brave people do. They stop when they need to stop, even if it’s scary and a little bit costly.

Your spiritual health is more important than that goal you’re hustling toward. And you won’t meet your goals if you burn out.

Rest is not a bad thing. Rest is not something that will make you fall behind. But yes, it may be costly sometimes. Sometimes you will have to say no to something so you can rest.

But just like today’s verse says, God gives rest to His beloved. Friend, bravery isn’t conquering the world in your own strength. It’s working hard with what you’re given, but also trusting that everything comes from God—your ability to hustle is from God. He created You.

So listen to Him when He tells you to rest. Make rest a rhythmic part of your life. It is a discipline you have to choose and invite into your life. When you see others hustling around you and forsaking rest, don’t get antsy and feel like you have to keep up.

You won’t meet your goals if you burn out.

Be brave enough to rest—knowing that you need it. Knowing that it’s healthy. Knowing that even God Himself rests.

BE BRAVE: Take a nap. Go to bed early tonight. Take a day off from work (or even just an afternoon). Find rest.