Rest.  

The word alone brings up thoughts of luxurious vacations filled with trips to the spa and lounging by a pool!  I admit, I would never turn down such a vacation!  

However, I can’t help but ask myself why rest is now considered a luxury as opposed to what it really is: a necessity.

We all know the story of creation.  God created the world in six days and on the seventh day, He rested.  

What I find interesting is that after God created man on the sixth day, he didn’t immediately put them to work.  No, instead he made them rest. Humanities first day of existence was a day of rest!  I believe that there is a powerful message that God was trying to send to us. 

We are unable to function to our fullest unless we are well-rested.  

I want to clarify that rest and laziness are not the same thing.  

There are many people who are lazy and find themselves slouched in front of a television set as soon as they get off work.  They aren’t resting, but instead they are numbing.  

Rest consists of something that helps rejuvenate your soul and feeds your spirit.    

It could be anything from setting time aside to journal, painting, reading, taking a long walk, or even getting caught up on some much-needed sleep.  

Rest in itself is an act of worship because it is surrender.  We are surrendering to God and laying our lives before Him.  It is an act of trust when we set aside everything we know to do and place it before God.   

I want to encourage you today to make plans for rest.  Contrary to popular opinion, rest is not for the weak, but it is for the strong.

Choose to be strong. Choose to rest.