Rest Isn’t Lazy — It’s Sacred

You know, we live in a world that’s obsessed with more. More hustle. More noise. More pressure. But somewhere in the middle of all that, Jesus is gently whispering, “Come away with Me. Rest.”

Let me tell you, rest isn’t a weakness. It’s not laziness. It’s sacred. It’s an invitation from the heart of God to slow down and be reminded that you’re not holding the world together—He is.

Have you ever felt like your brain is buffering? There are moments in my life where I’ve been so overwhelmed, stretched thin, running on empty, and God would meet me in the stillness. Not in the striving. Not in the checklist, although I’ve been known to love a good checklist. But in the quiet. That’s where healing happens. That’s where peace floods in, because God says your value is who you are—His. Chosen. Enough.

Rest doesn’t always look like taking a nap or laying on the couch (though, sometimes it needs to). Sometimes it’s worship music on a walk. Sometimes it’s laughing with people you love. Sometimes it’s getting lost in something that brings you joy—the kind of joy that reminds you who you really are.

We serve a God who rested. Think about that. The Creator of the universe, after shaping the heavens and the earth, stopped—not because He was tired, but to set the rhythm for our lives. A rhythm of grace. A rhythm of breathing room.

If you haven’t been told yet, let me be the first to tell you that you don’t have to earn rest. You don’t have to prove anything. You’re already loved. Already chosen. And the same God who called you to the work, also calls you to the rest.

So let this be your reminder: make space. Shut off the noise. Let your soul breathe. God isn’t just in your hustle—He’s in your rest.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28

God’s not just giving you permission to rest—He’s inviting you to it. Say yes.

Olivia Harreld
www.varsityskate.org