The Gift of Rest: Why We Need to Stop Rushing and Start Delighting

God rested. On the seventh day of creation, He ceased from His work—not because He was exhausted, but because He delighted in what He had created. The Hebrew word for Sabbath literally means to stop, to cease, to rest. It’s a reminder that rest isn’t weakness—it’s an act of faith and alignment with the way we were created to live.

But how often do we give ourselves permission to stop?

We live in a world that glorifies busyness. There’s always another task, another goal, another commitment. We pack our days (and our children’s) with so many activities that we barely have room to breathe, let alone hear from God. And when we do this long enough, we burn out. In burnout, we lose clarity. We can’t hear God’s voice because we’re too tired to listen.

These past few months, I decided to step back. My word for the first quarter of the year was delight. At the time, I didn’t fully understand what God meant when He gave me that word. But I knew I needed to obey.

So I let go of commitments—many of which were dear to my heart. I said no when it was hard. I allowed myself to step into a season of rest and trust that God was pruning me, preparing the soil of my life for what’s next.

Just like nature needs winter to replenish the ground with nutrients, we need seasons of rest to restore our minds, bodies, and spirits. When we keep rushing from one thing to the next, we miss the quiet miracles happening right in front of us.

In this season, I’ve learned to ask for help. I’ve learned to slow down and sit with my children—to really see them. I’ve discovered things about them that I would have missed had I stayed busy. I’ve deepened my relationship with Christ and created space for Him to speak into my life.

Rest isn’t laziness. It’s an act of trust. When we rest, we tell God: I believe You’re still working, even when I’m not.

So maybe it’s time to stop rushing. Yes, plans and goals matter—but so does giving ourselves permission to simply be. There’s a feminine energy in rest—a flow that allows creativity, insight, and quantum leaps. When we stop striving, we open ourselves to greater clarity, deeper peace, and unexpected growth.

Let’s stop rushing through life. Let’s make room to rest and delight. God rested—so can we.