It's Okay To Rest

       There is a time to work, and a time to rest, and at times we have to restructure things in our life so that we can maintain a healthy balance without burning out. That is where I am at right now, I have for a long time now made myself available all week long and on the weekend as well, but for now I am feeling led to step back on the weekends. With everything else that is going on in my life right now I realize that to keep up with this too without a break is just too much for me. I have to at some point slow things down so I can rest and that means I have to say no somewhere. So, this weekend I did a lot of praying, and seeking the Lord for what I should do because things look like they are going to take longer to get better than originally anticipated and I am already starting to feel worn down and exhausted from all of this. What I was led to, as I mentioned earlier, was stepping back from g+; and the blog at least on the weekends. There was a time when in this position I would have barreled ahead regardless until I literally made myself so weak from the stress and exhaustion that I couldn't work, but I know better now and I am trying to do better.
      I have come to realize that rest is necessary whether I like it or not, burning myself out repeatedly in the past has taught me there is a big difference between being lazy, and allowing my body to relax and rejuvenate. I have come to learn that rest is important, I mean even God rested the seventh day and commanded that we rest too (Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 34:21). From this Biblical knowledge and personal experience I have come to realize it is okay for me to give myself permission to rest, after all, what good am I to the family I work for or my own if I am too burnt out to do my job? 
       I wanted to share this short post for a couple of reasons today, one so you guys know why I won't be around much or at all on the weekends for a while, and two because I know there are other people out there who struggle with allowing themselves rest. I hope if you are one of those people you take this lesson the easy way and listen to my advice and reasoning. You need rest too, you need to take a little break every now and again for yourself and it does not make you selfish to do so, everyone needs rest. Even God rested, do you really think if He rested that you can do without it? 
 
Genesis 2:1-3        
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

Psalm 127:2        
It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.

Matthew 11:29         
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.