Sometimes subtraction is better than addition. We are so conditioned in our culture to think the best way to operate is to always do more and get more done—ideally to get ALL the stuff done.
There is a time for getting stuff done and a time to throttle back. It’s biblical to throttle back. God instructed the Israelites to let a field lie fallow to rest for a season. And He rested on the seventh day of creation as an example to us. God made us to operate at our best when we also rest well.
God has always wanted us to be more dependent on Him, but instinctively many of us work very hard to be more independent from Him and everyone else. This is not the way we were designed. To rest well is to trust that God will care for us. The world will go on if we stop for a bit.
To be clear, it’s not always easy to choose to rest. It takes planning and preparation, and it truly takes discipline. Allow your soul to rest. And teach your children to rest by taking them for an afternoon at the park. Play board games with all screens and devices in a basket—in another room and turned off . . . maybe under water.
When we are exhausted and have no margin in our lives, we are not at our best, not most satisfied, and certainly not peaceful.
Receive the blessing of rest. Lead your family in biblical, delightful, and really fun rest.
Dave Carl
Creator, Paws & Tales