Summer is upon us. It’s a time to change gears.

A lot of us are still working, but most of us will probably have a bit of vacation time here or there. Kids are out of school and teens are meandering to the beach.

But many people still find it hard to rest. And when I say “rest” I mean truly rest—relaxing your mind, unplugging from social media, being unproductive, slowing down.

Some people think about work even when they’re not at work. Their brains remain on high alert. If they’re not stressed out about something they’ll create a new problem and then stress out about that!

Oh, and this is not just a problem for those over 25. High-alertness, non-stop activities, and incessant online hurricanes have saturated their minds as well.

This is where the sovereignty of God comes in. God is in charge—all the time. Psalm 103:19 reminds us: “The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.”

This reminder is helpful because there are times when our brains are over-active and when our down-time is actually up-time because we think it’s all up to us. There are times when over-functioning is a symptom of under-believing.

Telesat Victor Hugo has a saying: “Go to sleep in peace. God is awake.”*

Isn’t that a reason to exhale? God is awake. He is working. He is interceding. He is doing everything that matters most.

I’m a realist. So I realize that perfect balance all of the time isn’t always possible. There are busy weeks and even seasons. But when that pace and state-of-mind becomes normalized we need to take a step back, sit down and look up.

Did you know that God created rest—and created us to rest regularly—because he loves us and wants what is best for us?

It’s summer. Plan some rejuvenation. And smile.

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Notes:

–*Quoted on the “You’re Not Crazy” Podcast by Ray Ortlund. The episode was called “Finding Rest for Your Soul” and was released on June 30, 2022. Accessed on June 30, 2022 at: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/podcasts/youre-not-crazy/rest-your-soul/

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.