The Kind of Tired Sleep Can’t Fix: How to Find Rest in a Busy Life
I dread this polite question people ask in passing. How are you? Out of instinct my response, and the response I find myself receiving, is “I’m good” or “I’m so busy.”
I catch myself thinking, am I really that busy? Why? Is this good? How can I hit the brakes and take the country road?
No matter what season of life we find ourselves in, there’s always something that needs our attention.
The moment I finish a writing deadline, it’s time to work on the next project. And when I finish work, the chores around the house must get done. I also want to exercise, spend time with my friends and family, and prioritize time with Jesus. Just thinking about the to-do list makes me squirm.
If I’m honest, there are days where the work of my vocation, relationships, and house consume me without much thought to scarfing down food, acknowledging the people around me, and dare I say, taking a shower to wipe off the grime of the day’s work.
A rhythm of busyness is not sustainable long term and will only leave us stretched thin, squeezing more into our calendar while squeezing the very life out of us.
Rest is not a reward for finishing everything. Rest is how we remember we were never meant to carry everything.
To learn a better way, we must look to the life of Jesus. His days were filled with people to see, places to go, and assignments to complete. But He never adopted a lifestyle of rest as a reward.
If we want to live a fulfilling, sustainable life, we must stay connected to the Giver of life who shows us He is the giver and we are the receiver. Or another way to say it: He is God and we are not.
We can push the constraints of the clock and ignore the darkness of the evening hours, but productivity will eventually wane. Sooner or later, we’ll realize we’ve turned into a producer rather than a person who creates.
The antidote Jesus shows us is to embrace our humanity.
What Jesus Teaches us About rest
“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” Mark 6:31
What amazes me about Mark 6 is not only that the disciples needed rest. It’s that Jesus noticed.
He did not rebuke them for being tired. He did not tell them to push through because the crowds were waiting. He did not spiritualize their exhaustion or shame them for their limits.
He simply said, “Come with me.”
Before they needed a strategy, they needed communion. Before they needed to produce more, they needed to receive from him.
And it’s the same for you.
Jesus understands your humanity. The God-man sees your physical needs. He shows you the need for rest, not just the permission for rest.
Can you relate to being so focused on the next task you forget the fuel needed to sustain your work?
You need physical food to support you. You need spiritual food to sustain you. Jesus doesn’t elevate one, He balances both, showing the beauty of your humanity.
The disciples needed the Bread of Life to sustain them for the work they had been called to do.
You need the Bread of Life to sustain you for the work you have been called to do.
The problem is, life often feels so chaotic, rest feels idealistic. There will always be more demands. But if we cater to the demands and let busyness rule us, burnout will follow.
It may be hard to find time to rest and lay down the work, but just because it’s hard doesn’t mean it’s not profitable.
I knew I needed to do the hard work when I found myself irritated and anxious. I couldn’t put down my phone or my work email. Even when I pulled into the driveway and turned off my car after work, my heart raced and I prepared for what chores needed to be completed before bed. I’d collapse onto my pillow and read half a page before the book fell on my face, and I’d succumb to sleep before starting the day over the next morning.
When I went into a long weekend getaway with my friend, all I could think about was what everyone back home needed from me. Until I turned off my phone notifications. I found myself laughing over dinner with my friend and enjoying the outdoors. This is what it means to be human, I thought. By the time my bags were packed , I found my body nourished and my soul refreshed. And I knew I needed to find ways to embrace my humanity in simple ways back home too.
Even after the disciples spent time resting, they were immediately surrounded by another swarm of people and tasks to complete.
But there’s a key difference in taking time to rest.
Why Is Rest Important Physically and Spiritually?
The period away from the chaos refreshes us to step back into our lives and work from a place of abundance instead of scarcity. When we choose to press pause, it actually gives us the upward momentum we need to come back ready to accomplish more.
But. . .
I often find myself adding that caveat.
The inbox will still be full when you return. The laundry will still be unfolded. The project will still need another revision.
It doesn’t make sense to our finite brains. And yet, God uses these moments to remind us He is limitless, and we are not. If Jesus, the God-man, entered into time and space, and lived in our twenty-four hour day and chose to step away from the crowds and responsibilities for a moment.
The email inbox may increase, but you’ve given yourself space to know how and what to respond.
The laundry is in a pile, but you have more energy to love those in your house.
The project still needs finished, but you had space to imagine and come back to create and share your skills with the world.
Busyness may swirl around you, but you begin to counter a culture that tells you to do instead of think. To hustle instead of wait. To pursue your ambitions without the power and work of Christ in your life.
You do not have to finish everything before you come to Jesus. You do not have to become limitless before you are faithful. You do not have to prove your worth by running yourself into the ground.
You are human. That is not a flaw in your design. Your humanity gives you permission to rest.
So receive the invitation of Jesus: come away, be with him, and rest. The world is not held together by your hurry. And neither are you.
Next Steps to Embrace Being Human and Find Rest
Take twenty to thirty minutes to rest and embrace your humanity.
Spiritual Rest
Go on a walk and listening to the audio Bible, worship music, or even walking with a friend.
Physical Rest
Take a nap or eat your favorite snack. Bonus points if you do both.
Enjoy one of your hobbies like reading, gardening, cooking, painting, music, or sports.
Mental Rest
Setting your phone to “do not disturb” and talking with someone in person.
Emotional Rest
Journaling and using the space to write a prayer to the Lord about this season.
Let’s encourage one another in the comments to embrace our humanity and find rest. What else would you add to this list?
For triumph,
