rest.

5. resting is not the same as being entertained.

Brady Boyd says is so well, “Recently I heard a pastor in Maryland talking about the difference between amusement and rest. We tend to do one better than the other, and the one we do well is not rest. Case in point: last year my family and I went to Disney World for a full week, and I came back more exhausted than before I left. And I was really tired when we took off. I may have escaped the stressors of daily life, but had I even rested at all? This is what God is hinting at here, that restfulness is tethered to the state of our souls.”‬‬

We use different outlets to relax, but there is only one type of rest that produces fruitfulness. Watching tv or just doing nothing may make me feel better physically, but that doesn’t necessarily refresh my soul. When we take time to sit with the Lord and do things that genuinely refresh us, (even if we feel like we’re sitting too long) fruitfulness flows from it.

Heidi Baker also says it well, “I watch those who have learned the mystery of the secret place. They understand that when they seek more time with God, they will bear far more fruit and will have the grace to keep running, even in the midst of great pressure. They thrive over the years because they have learned to abide in the realm where we are called to live.”

If you’re feeling the effects of burnout, I encourage you to take time to rest. More than just a physical refresh, your soul also needs to be refreshed. Rest will look different for all of us. Sometimes, it’s time alone with just you and God. Sometimes, it’s getting outside. Other times, it may be painting. Ask God what is something that you could do that would not only help you physically, but will also refresh the depths of who you are.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11:28-29‬ ‭NIV‬‬