Rest

Recently, I received an invitation to visit a friend’s vacation home in southwest Florida. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity for a little R&R because, to say the least, it was long overdue.

What I soon realized was that God beautifully orchestrated this time of rest because I clearly had a hard time setting it aside on my own.

While I’ve gotten much better over the years at not treating every empty space on my calendar as an opportunity to squeeze in more work, I still haven’t quite mastered the art of scheduling stillness.

If you’re an overachieving, productivity enthusiast like me, an unscheduled moment can quickly become a mental to-do list. Even when you’re sitting still, your mind is asking, What should I be doing right now? What could I be getting done?

In the workplace, that mindset can be a strength.

For your soul? Not so much.

Our bodies need rest. That’s a fact. But I’ve realized that rest and stillness aren’t always the same thing.

Back to my vacation.

I intentionally didn’t pack every day with activities, even though I was visiting a part of Florida I’d never experienced before. (Don’t worry…I’ll share those adventures in another post!)

This trip wasn’t about checking attractions off a list. It was about allowing myself to simply…be.

And honestly? That was harder than I expected.

So what does it really mean to be still?

To me, stillness is intentionally quieting the constant need to produce, consume, fix, plan, or perform. It’s choosing presence over productivity. It’s allowing your mind, body, and spirit the space to simply exist without feeling guilty that you’re “not doing enough.”

Biblically, stillness goes even deeper.

Psalm 46:10 reminds us,

“Be still, and know that I am God.”

Notice God doesn’t say, Be busy and know.

Or, Be productive and know.

Or even, Be entertained and know.

He says, be still.

Because stillness creates room for trust.

It reminds us that God is in control even when we stop moving.

What stillness gives us

I came home realizing that stillness offers gifts we often don’t realize we’re missing.

Clarity.

Have you ever noticed how your best ideas rarely come while you’re rushing from one thing to the next? When the mental noise quiets, things that once felt confusing suddenly become clear. Stillness helps us separate what’s urgent from what’s actually important.

God’s voice.

God is always speaking. The question is whether we’ve made enough space to hear Him.

When every spare moment is filled with podcasts, social media, television, emails, or notifications, His gentle whispers can easily get drowned out. Stillness creates space to listen.

Renewed energy.

Real renewal isn’t just physical.

You can sleep eight hours and still wake up mentally exhausted.

Stillness restores something deeper. It gives your mind permission to stop performing, your heart permission to breathe, and your soul permission to reconnect with the One who created it.

We don’t have to fill every quiet moment.

Many of us don’t actually know how to rest because we’ve forgotten how to be still.

The moment life slows down, we instinctively reach for our phones. We scroll. We binge another episode. We answer one more email. We fill the silence before it has a chance to do its work.

Those things aren’t inherently bad. But they’re often distractions masquerading as rest. The truth is, our minds and bodies aren’t always craving more stimulation. Sometimes they’re simply craving stillness.

This week, I’m practicing something different.

I’m resisting the urge to fill every empty space.

I’m sitting at the table a little longer after I eat.

Watching the sunset without photographing it.

Leaving my phone in another room.

Listening more than talking.

Praying without rushing to the next thing.

Because I’ve realized that some of God’s greatest work happens when I stop trying so hard to do mine.

Maybe that’s your invitation, too. Not to do more or become more productive. But simply to be still.

You might be surprised by what you hear…and by how much lighter you feel.

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