Running the Race: 5-Days of Encouragements for an Active LifestyleSample

Faithful in Rest

In the beginning of the A.D.A.'s Tour de Cure Bike Ride, Raully and Eddie were feeling strong, and they flew past the snack stands.

It was only many dozens of miles in that they realized they’d put themselves in an unsafe and unhealthy situation. Tired, hungry, and dehydrated, they found that they’d taken a wrong turn. Looking back, Raully says that if he’d taken advantage of the rest stops built into the ride, he and Eddie would more than likely be on the right path at that moment. They’d be fueled for the remainder of the ride.

Raully and Eddie’s story is a testament to the importance of rest.

Over and over, rest is forgotten about. We fill our days with to-do lists accomplished one by one and activities until we run out of steam. If we really listened, paused, and considered our schedules, we’d hear God say, “It’s time to rest, child. Take time for me.”

In the first chapters of Genesis, God forms all of creation and then he rests. He Sabbaths and calls us to do the same. Exodus even says that when he created time for rest, he “made it holy” (Exodus 20:11).

This Sabbath was created to provide margins in our life to refocus. We are called to work in worship of God and then rest through physical rest, recreational restoration, relational connections, and a time to realign our hearts with God’s. 

But most often, we’re moving too fast. We’re speeding through the rest stops like Raully. Only when we are completely exhausted are we forced to stop and we ask ourselves, “What happened?”

In Psalm 46:10, God says to us, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Essentially, God is saying, “Stop what you are doing and remember me.” Moments of rest are opportunities to learn, grow, and get direction on the next route in our lives. 

God may be trying to get you to slow down or to stop right now so he can show you some things that you are never going to see if you’re always going. Take the rest stops in life, and take them faithfully. 

Stopping to do something restful can feel like a sacrifice. Perhaps you don’t get everything done that you wanted to or felt that you needed to. But in these moments, you commune with God. And God says, “Well done, child.”

Rest stops fill you up so that you can live the life God called you to live in all of its fullness. They set you on the right path, energize you, and allow you to finish the race marked out for you and finish it strong. Consider how you might use the day to take a rest stop. 

Do what fills you with energy, whether that be reading by yourself or having a conversation with a friend or family member.

QUESTION OF THE DAY

How can you faithfully build rest stops into your weekly routine?