When it comes to resting, sometimes its difficult to know how to implement a time of rest each week. Does it seem overwhelming to you? If so, I am hopeful that this post will help you move towards taking care of your soul by stopping to rest each week.
Take a little time today to write down activities that are restful for you, are unrelated to your work, which bring enjoyment and help you to relax.
Some ideas that may be restful (I’m sure there are others more specific to you)
- Take a bubble bath
- Read a book for fun
- Get away from your house and go somewhere you have been wanting to go
- Go to a coffee shop and spend time by yourself or with friends
- Cooking or baking
- Make a craft
- Paint or draw
- Hand lettering
- Get a manicure
- Talk to a friend
- Play games with family or friends
- Go hiking
- Go fishing
- Gardening
- Take pictures
- Play a sport
- Listening to music
- Spending time with God
What are ways that you connect with God? Write down a few of your favorites. Here are some ideas:
- Journaling your thoughts or prayers
- Interacting with God while participating in your restful activities
- Getting someplace quiet and talking out loud to God
- Reading the Bible, or listening to it on your Bible app or cd
- Listening to a sermon and praying about how God wants you to apply the message
- Listening to worship music
- Singing
- Playing an intrument
- Reading a Christian book that challenges or teaches you
- Writing your own song or poem
- Painting or drawing
- Meditating on Scripture
- Taking time to just listen to God
- Make a gratitude list
- Reflect on your week, and how God may have been speaking to you
- Get in nature and think about your Creator
- Go through a Bible study
- Choose a few of the restful ideas you came up with (or choose from the list above) as well as a few ways you want to try to connect with God. Ask God to guide you.
- Choose a day this week that you can have a few hours, a half day, or a whole day to intentionally rest. Start with a few hours if a half day or whole day is overwhelming to you. Start small and build up to a day if possible. Put it in your planner/calendar! Go ahead and schedule rest time each week for the next month. If you just block out a few hours, then just choose one restful activity and one way to connect with Jesus so that you have time for both.
- After you have tried your ideas for rest and connection with God for a few weeks, evaluate and see if those specific activities you have been practicing have truly been restful or helped you to connect with God. Implement different ones at that point in time to try out if you would like.
My hope is that if you are feeling stuck with how to start having a day of Sabbath rest that these ideas will encourage you that starting is not too overwhelming or difficult. I would love to hear what is restful for you, and if you are starting to implement rest into your week. I am so excited for you to experience God’s goodness through Sabbath rest!
What is your favorite way to connect with Jesus? What is one way that you have chosen to intentionally rest this week?
Jessica
By still waters 
Good reflections!
LikeLike