If it’s not stressful, it can be restful.

In our growing awareness of the need for self-care, even workaholics are starting to recognize the adverse effects of not getting enough rest.

The only problem is, how? Those who’ve reached the level of success they’ve defined for themselves didn’t do so by lack of activity. Those who haven’t yet would like to keep moving toward that.

Either way, “rest” doesn’t sound like the way to get there.

Unless “rest” doesn’t mean just sleeping, laying down, or sitting around doing nothing.

It doesn’t. Rest includes anything that relaxes our bodies, brains, and emotions, to provide the rejuvenation we need.

“At rest” means at peace. A settled sense that no matter what’s going on “out there” (circumstances, relationships), “in here”, internally, we’re protected from anxiety, fear, anger, and harm. We don’t have to be on alert, ready to fight or flee. We don’t have to feel upset, mind whirling, stomach churning, spirit troubled, “all shook up”. We’re calm. We’re enjoying life, free of distress.

Rest, therefore, becomes whatever makes us at rest. If our minds are spinning with anxious thoughts while we’re lying around, we’re not resting. If we’re doing something that brings us peace, we are.

Coming to the Lord in prayer to get His perspective and power does that. Jesus told His disciples, who were striving and stressed, hurried and harried, the way we often 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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.’” Mat. 11:28-30

As His followers, those in relationship with Him, this applies to us. The reason His yoke is light is because He’s holding up the other side, and He’s fitted our side exactly to how He’s designed us, so it doesn’t weigh heavily on us.

While stillness in prayer is the most obvious way to come to the Lord, it’s not the only way. We come to Him every time we recognize His presence, since He’s always with us. We recognize His presence by listening to Him, learning from Him directly or indirectly through others, engaging in life-giving, joy-filling, activities with Him, enjoying fellowship with brothers and sisters who bear His name and remind us of His presence, etc.

“’…wherever two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.” Mat. 18:20

In that case, we can engage in hobbies, take walks, read, hang out with friends, listen to podcasts and music, do other stuff we enjoy, worship (in song, dance, instruments, speech) and still be resting. Any kind of playing for fun can also be restful. All of the above have given me the rest I need.

Even including playing pickleball. Such as this past Saturday, when my husband and I went to the Y and saw our young-couple friends setting up the net. We greeted them, and they invited us to join the game. We all had so much fun together, we felt relaxed and rejuvenated even while we were running and hitting the ball. And we even slept better that night! Talk about rest

But what about the Sabbath? “’Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the Lord in all your dwelling places.’” (Lev. 23:3) Again, the Sabbath means resting in the way described above—a restorative break from job-related work and the stress that brings. Not legalistically refusing to turn on a light switch because the Sabbath had already started—something I heard someone actually did.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.” Ps. 23:1-2

That phrase “still waters” in the original Hebrew translates to “waters of rest” – life-giving, peace-infusing, times in His presence, that He provides for us and guides us to.

Of course, much-needed sleep and stillness help too. But we don’t have to veg-out or zone-out to rest.

How will you rest today?