Choosing Yourself: Rest as a Sacred Priority

Honouring the gift of life by slowing down

Sometimes we need the gentle reminder:

Deadlines, to-do lists, responsibilities — these things never truly end. The world keeps demanding, and if we let it, our energy and joy will be poured out until there is nothing left. Yet here is a truth worth holding close: You — your body, your soul, your heart — cannot be replaced. Your health, your soul, and your heart matter more than any unfinished task.

Last week, Clive forwarded me a video that redefined the word JOB as Just Over Broke. In it, Warren Buffet’s words rang out like a sober reminder: “If you don’t find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die.” Many who are self-employed think they own a business, but in reality, they often own a J.O.B. — because when they stop working, so does their income. How easily, even with good intentions, work can consume our lives if we’re not careful.

Those of us who have wrestled through burnout and breakdown know the cost of neglecting self-care. It often begins with small compromises — late nights, skipped meals, constant giving — and ends with an empty cup. Without rest, we lose not only our health but also the joy and creativity God meant us to carry into the world.

I’ve learnt the hard way that rest and self-care are not luxuries. They are sacred priorities, the foundation that allows us to live and give from the overflow of God’s abundance. When we choose to pause — whether in prayer, reflection, or simply breathing — we align with the rhythm He created for our lives.

Even God and Jesus stressed the importance of rest:

📖 “And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” — Genesis 2:2–3 (NKJV)

Jesus too modelled this rhythm.

📖 “So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.” — Luke 5:16 (NKJV)

📖 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” — Matthew 11:28–30 (NKJV)

If the Creator of the universe rested, and if Jesus Himself sought quiet places of prayer, how much more should we? Rest is not optional. It is God’s gift, His invitation to return to His presence and be renewed.

Self-care is stewardship. It is tending to the temple of the Holy Spirit, not from vanity or self-indulgence, but out of reverence for the life entrusted to us.

📖 “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” — 1 Corinthians 6:19 (NKJV)

So today, pause. Breathe deeply. Step away from what feels urgent to tend to what is eternal. Rest is not wasted time — it is sacred obedience.

💡 Reflection:

• Where in your life are you tempted to trade health for productivity? 🤔

• How can you shift that into a sacred pause today? 🤔

🎨 Creative Prompt: Paint or sketch yourself as a flourishing garden. What colours and textures capture your soul when it is rested and nourished?

🙏 Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank You for reminding me that I am precious in Your sight. Forgive me for pushing myself beyond what is healthy. Teach me to see rest not as weakness, but as worship. Help me to live from Your overflow, so I can serve with joy and strength. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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✨ You matter more than any task on a list. Choosing yourself — with compassion, courage, and rest — is choosing God’s rhythm for life.

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