Many of us have learned that rest must be earned- something we can only settle into once we’ve finished xyz, pleased everyone, and proven to deserve a break. But let’s look at it this way: Rest is not a reward. Rest is holy. Rest is worship.

The world rewards exhaustion, productivity, and the illusion that our worth rises (or decreases) with our performance. But God never asked that of us. Striving was never part of Eden- that entered the world only after brokenness did.

Rest is holy because it removes us from the lie that we must strive to please, prove our value, or keep everything together on our own. In rest, we remember that God is the one who sustains us! Rest realigns our hearts with the truth that we are loved because we are His, not because of what we do.

When we choose rest, we declare our trust in God! It is another form of surrender, where God meets us with delight. Rest becomes an act of faith- a remembrance of the peace He has already placed within us.

I tend to think of the story of Jesus and the disciples crossing the Sea of Galilee. When an intense storm suddenly hit- violent winds, crashing waves, and a boat filling with water. The disciples panic. But Jesus?

He is asleep! Resting. This rest isn’t ignorance or indifference- it is authority. It is trust in knowing who holds the wind. Rest is not the absence of chaos- it’s confidence in who is in the boat with you.

Rest won’t always look like a vacation or a long afternoon nap. Sometimes it’s pausing mid-day to acknowledge God’s presence. Sometimes it’s choosing silence instead of scrolling. Sometimes it’s letting yourself feel tired without shaming yourself for being human.

Rest is where God restores what this hustle culture steals.

And if God himself rested, why do we imagine we don’t have time to do the same?

Suddenly, as they were crossing the lake, a ferocious storm arose, with violent winds and waves that were crashing into the boat until it was nearly swamped. But Jesus was calmy sleeping in the stern, resting on a cushion. So they shook him awake, saying, “Teacher, don’t you even care that we are all about to die!” Fully awake, he rebuked the storm and shouted to the sea, “Hush! Be still!” All at once the wind stopped howling and the water became perfectly calm. (Mark 4:36-39 TPT)

It really is senseless to work so hard from early morning till late at night, toiling to make a living for fear of not having enough. God can provide for his devoted lovers even while they sleep! (Psalms 127:2 TPT)