So many of us are living out of a performance-based mentality. We have to constantly be doing something in order to be productive or measure up. In doing so, we sacrifice an essential ingredient to a productive life – rest.
Author, speaker and mom blogger Melinda Means has struggled with this performance-based mentality and it led her to a season of burn-out, health issues and lost family time. She realized that she needed to take time to rest her mind, body and spirit.
What does rest look like to you?
Rest may look different from one person to another, but it’s important to set time aside for rest in our busy schedules. Melinda shares what has helped her recharge on a weekly basis.
“One thing that I have found really helpful over the last few years is I have taken Sundays to unplug from anything on the computer, just to try to really rest from thinking about anything work-related, and just try to enjoy my family and worship God.”
There is a misconception that when we rest, we are not being productive. Melinda explains how resting has actually helped her become more productive.
“That recharging that I get makes me so much more joyful, more patient and more productive. It’s helped me to trust that God doesn’t need me to be working or to feel like I’m measuring up all the time.”
Melinda reminds us that God will honor us as we rest.
“He honors it when we obey Him when He tells us to rest. I learned that I could trust that He was going to be faithful and it didn’t all rest on me.”
By setting aside our to-do lists for a period of time, we are showing God that we trust Him to take care of things so that our body, mind and spirit can find rest. It all comes down to trust. As Melinda has placed her trust in God, He has rebuilt confidence in her that was lacking.
“He’s replacing that confidence that I thought that I needed to build in myself.”
