When I think about Rest and Renewal, I think of a time to pause and reflect.
There are seasons when God does not push us forward, He calls us inward.
In a world that celebrates constant movement, productivity, making the next big moves and visible progress, rest can truly feel uncomfortable, even irresponsible. I know this because sometimes I struggle to rest thinking if I rest, something will suffer for it. Yet Scripture reminds us that rest is not a pause from purpose; it is often the place where purpose is refined. Before God ushers us into something new, He frequently invites us to slow down, sit with Him, and allow our hearts to be renewed.
Rest and renewal are not signs that you are falling behind, they are evidence that God is preparing you. Preparing your heart, healing old wounds, realigning your desires, and teaching you how to move at His pace instead of your own. This quiet work often goes unnoticed, but it is essential for the next season God is unfolding.
I am currently reading this book called Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver and it is so aligned with this topic. The book talks about how women can balance deep intimacy with God (Mary’s posture) with the demands of daily life (Martha’s world). It really invites us to slow down, sit at Jesus’ feet, and let devotion fuel our service rather than overwhelm them. I definitely struggle sometimes with leaving chores etc alone to rest or pause at Jesus’ feet. So when I felt God call me to read this book, I knew he was calling me to rest.
The Call to Rest: Letting Go of Striving
Rest can feel hard when we’re used to striving, trust me, I understand this very well. I am so used to GO GO GO, that resting feels like I am being lazy sometimes. Unless I am on vacation, somehow my brain refuses to accept rest.
We associate rest with falling behind, losing momentum, or being unproductive. But biblical rest is not passive, it is active trust. It is choosing to believe that God is still working even when we slow down.
Jesus invites us, “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” That invitation is not based on how much we’ve accomplished. It’s rooted in relationship.
If you’ve been feeling spiritually dry, emotionally irritable, or constantly overwhelmed, it may not be a discipline issue, it may be a rest issue. I am slowly learning this because even some times, I am working towards a goal and nothing is working out or I feel empty etc, I am learning that sometimes, it may be time to pause and rest in God
Practical Ways to Enter a Season of Renewal
Preparing for a new season doesn’t require perfection, it requires intention.
There are various ways to prepare:
- Creating quiet space to sit with God without an agenda
- Releasing expectations that God never asked you to carry
- Letting go of timelines, comparisons, or disappointments
- Revisiting God’s promises and remembering His faithfulness
- Taking a personal retreat to spend time with God
Trusting God With the Unknown
New seasons often begin without clarity.
We want the full plan, but God often gives us little bits initially. Trust is built not by knowing every step, but by knowing the One who leads. If he gives us the entire plan, then what is the need to trust in him right? But he gives us parts of it so we learn to trust in him to lead us through the full plan.
Proverbs reminds us to trust in the Lord with all our heart and not lean on our own understanding. That kind of trust requires releasing control and choosing obedience, even when the path feels unclear.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for being a God who cares deeply about our hearts. Thank You for the seasons of rest You invite us into, even when we resist them. Teach us to slow down, to listen, and to trust You more fully.
Search our hearts, Lord, and reveal anything that needs healing, surrender, or release. Renew our minds, restore our strength, and realign our desires with Your will. Help us let go of striving and receive Your peace.
As we prepare for a new season, may we move forward rested, refined, and rooted in You. Give us the grace to wait when You say wait, and the courage to move when You say go. We place our future in Your hands, confident that You are faithful to complete the work You have begun in us.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Conclusion
One thing hubby and I started in 2024 was personal retreats. We have tried to do them at the beginning of the year, birthdays and end of the year and trust me, it is always such a refreshing and amazing experience. We typically do our solo retreats on different weekends because of the kids.
Taking time to rest puts us in a place of surrender to God, a place to just rely and trust that he is working even with our rest. So whenever you sense God calling you to rest, or even when you feel confused, stressed or frustrated, take the time to rest in God.
As you stand on the edge of a new season, remember this, Rest and renewal are not pauses in your progress, they are part of the process.
When you allow God to tend to your heart, you step into what’s next with clarity instead of confusion, peace instead of pressure, and trust instead of striving. The work God does in hidden places often sustains us in public ones.