<\/p>\n
You\u2019re tired of being tired, aren\u2019t you? Worn down, weary, and running on empty. If one more item is added to your to-do list, you might topple.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Life\u2019s responsibilities, ongoing trials, and the daily grind feel heavier than they used to. You wonder: \u201cAm I the only one?\u201d You wonder: “Will this season last forever?”<\/p>\n
While few of us admit it, there\u2019s a quiet stigma that Christians can\u2019t feel tired. We act as if we\u2019re superhuman, with infinite time, energy, and resources, and we believe the lie that we need to work harder, pray more, read longer, and volunteer extra hours. Don’t worry, I’ve been here, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The reality is different: Christians can feel spiritually drained even while being faithful to their faith. Sometimes what we really need is soul-deep rest, proper rest in Jesus.<\/p>\n
In Matthew 11:28\u201330, Jesus invites us into that rest. A rest that isn\u2019t contingent on our performance but restores body, mind, and soul. If you\u2019re longing for true rest in Jesus, try these steps.<\/p>\n
\u201cCome to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 \u00a0Matthew 11:28 HCSB<\/em><\/p>\n Jesus\u2019 invitation sounds simple, and yet admitting weakness feels risky. We often feel pressure to \u201cpush through,\u201d forgetting Jesus\u2019 words in Matthew 11:28 and believing instead that we can do it all on our own. But Jesus knew we would face seasons of exhaustion and famine.\u00a0<\/p>\n God doesn\u2019t ask you to be stronger or try harder; He asks you to be honest about your weariness with Him. Sounds scary, right? Admitting how you really feel? Yikes! But this honesty opens the door to freedom.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you struggle to recognize or admit your weariness, try journaling a prayer to the Lord. Confess how you\u2019re really doing and take off the mask. It\u2019s holy work to confess weakness and then trust Him to do what you cannot.\u00a0<\/p>\n When we\u2019re weak, then He is strong (2 Cor 12:9 HCSB). God desires to give us rest because it has always been part of His design (Ex 20:8\u201310 HCSB). Admitting weariness is the first step toward receiving proper rest in Jesus.<\/p>\n \u201cBe still, and know that I am God.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 \u00a0Psalm 46:10 HCSB<\/em><\/p>\n After admitting we\u2019re weary, the next move is to pause, intentionally, amid the busyness. I know you\u2019re overwhelmed, but pausing and receiving God\u2019s presence actually lightens the load.\u00a0<\/p>\n When we stop, breathe, and rest quietly in God\u2019s presence, we\u2019re practicing surrender rather than escape. Pausing in the 21st century isn’t easy. Might I say it’s countercultural? It doesn’t make sense to anyone around you. But the benefits outweigh the risks tenfold. \u00a0<\/p>\n Stillness is an act of faith, not inactivity. It doesn\u2019t mean we\u2019re lazy; it means we do what we can and then trust God to finish the work. Pausing to receive God\u2019s presence is one of the most faithful ways to access proper rest in Jesus.<\/p>\n \u201cYour word is a lamp\u00a0to\u00a0my feet and a light to my path.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 \u00a0Psalm 119:105 HCSB<\/em><\/p>\n We\u2019ve admitted weariness and learned to pause. Now, how do we nourish the soul? Make small, consistent spiritual practices part of your rhythm:<\/p>\n 1. Read the Bible in small doses morning and evening. Instead of one long session, split it into two shorter sessions. On hard days, give yourself grace \u2014 it\u2019s about the posture of your heart, not the length of time.<\/p>\n 2. When anxiety rises, take deep breaths and mentally recite Scripture. Short verses can calm the mind and ground our hearts.<\/p>\n 3. Learn to pray throughout your day. Prayer doesn\u2019t need to be confined to quiet time. Pray while showering, driving, walking, or doing chores. Talking with God regularly helps us stay connected and makes it easier to receive proper rest in Jesus.<\/p>\n Practices like these connect Scripture and prayer to emotional and mental restoration. The truth of God\u2019s Word becomes a steadying presence that refreshes us.<\/p>\n \u201cThere remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 \u00a0Hebrews 4:9 HCSB<\/em><\/p>\n This step can feel controversial: make rest a rhythm, not only an escape. Scripture reveals that God worked and then rested; the\u00a0Sabbath is woven into the very fabric of the created order. If we want lasting restoration, we must create sustainable rhythms of work and rest.<\/p>\n Study the Sabbath and ask God how a Sabbath might look in your life. Could you take one day a week off from work? Could you set a daily limit for work hours \u2014 for example, no more than eight hours? Could you challenge yourself to work fewer, but more focused hours?<\/p>\n If you overwork six out of seven days, one day off won\u2019t be enough. Proper rest in Jesus requires consistent rhythms: rest days, unplugging from social media, and daily pauses. I’ve learned this the hard way, but this December, I’m challenging myself to rest, and I’d encourage you to do the same.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cLet us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 \u00a0Hebrews 10:24 HCSB<\/em><\/p>\n Rest rarely happens in isolation. We need community for accountability, encouragement, and practical help. Invite others to hold you up. Join a small group, find a spiritual mentor, and consider counseling when needed.\u00a0<\/p>\n These supports prevent isolation, reduce burnout, and help us practice proper rest in Jesus together.<\/p>\n Finding community groups isn’t always easy, but here are a few places I’d start:<\/p>\n -Join a Bible study or Small group at your Church. If you can’t find one, consider creating one or looking around at other churches and religious organizations.\u00a0<\/p>\n -Try a new hobby. Join a book club, dance class, running group, or pilates class. Engage in things that interest you and build community in those spaces.\u00a0<\/p>\n -Put yourself in places where you will be forced to meet new people. Work from a library or coffee shop when you have the capacity. Then, be bold and say hello. I always pray for “divine appointments” when I’m in new places and ask the Lord to make those connections.\u00a0<\/p>\n Friends, proper rest is found in Jesus, not in our to-do lists or self-effort. As hard as we work, rest is not something we manufacture \u2014 it is a gift to receive.\u00a0<\/p>\n This week, try one small practice: admit how you\u2019re really doing, pause for five minutes to breathe and pray, read a short Psalm, or schedule one intentional hour of Sabbath-style rest. One small step toward God\u2019s rhythm can open the door to more profound renewal.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re feeling spiritually fatigued, that doesn’t mean you’re experiencing spiritual failure. God\u2019s grace sustains us. You are human. You’re allowed to be tired and weary. And He will find you there. As Philippians 4:6\u20137 reminds us:<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 \u00a0<\/em>Philippians 4:6\u20137 HCSB<\/p>\n \u00a0Photo credit: \u00a9GettyImages\/tommaso79<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Amber Ginter<\/strong> is a teacher-turned-author who loves Jesus, her husband Ben, and granola. Growing up Amber looked for faith and mental health resources and found none. Today, she offers hope for young Christians struggling with mental illness that goes beyond simply reading your Bible and praying more. Because you can love Jesus and still suffer from anxiety. You can download her top faith and mental health resources for\u00a0free to help navigate books, podcasts, videos, and influencers from a faith lens perspective. Visit her website at\u00a0amberginter.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" You\u2019re tired of being tired, aren\u2019t you? Worn down, weary, and running on empty. If one more item is added to your to-do list, you might topple.\u00a0 Life\u2019s responsibilities, ongoing trials, and the daily grind feel heavier than they used to. You wonder: \u201cAm I the only one?\u201d You wonder: “Will this season last forever?”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10957,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[2500,1232,481,871,880,154],"class_list":["post-10956","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-prayer","tag-empty","tag-feeling","tag-jesus","tag-rest","tag-soul","tag-ways"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10956","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10956"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10956\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10957"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10956"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10956"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10956"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Step #2 – Pause and Receive God\u2019s Presence<\/h2>\n
Step #3 – Feed Your Soul with Scripture and Prayer<\/h2>\n
Step #4 – Align Life with God\u2019s Rhythms<\/h2>\n
Step #5 – Seek Community and Support<\/h2>\n
A Call to Rest<\/h2>\n