When God Invites You to Sit Down, Not Push Through
There are days when rest feels productive.
And then there are days when rest feels… awkward.
Recently, I took a day for me. My husband took the kids to the library, and suddenly the house was quiet—too quiet. I wandered from room to room, a little lost, like I should be doing something meaningful with the gift of time.
I had a plan. I was going to bind a small quilt.
But I couldn’t find it.
Instead, I found a migraine.
The kind that doesn’t ask permission. The kind that shuts down your thoughts, blurs your vision, and makes even good intentions feel impossible. So I did the only thing my body would allow: I stopped.
I took a hot soak.
I retreated to my room.
Curtains closed. Lights off. Fan on full blast.
I asked not to be disturbed—not dramatically, just honestly.
And then I laid there.
Half the afternoon slipped by. Supper came and went. The world kept moving, but I didn’t. Eventually, as the light outside began to fade, the pain eased just enough that standing felt bearable again.
I didn’t bind a quilt.
I didn’t check anything off a list.
I didn’t “make the most” of my free time.
But something holy still happened.
We live in a culture—and sometimes a church—that praises pushing through. Faith becomes synonymous with endurance. Strength looks like showing up no matter the cost. But there are moments when God isn’t asking for perseverance—He’s offering permission.
Permission to sit down.
Permission to turn the lights off.
Permission to be still without explaining why.
Jesus rested. He withdrew. He slept in the middle of storms. Not because He was weak—but because He was fully human and fully obedient to the limits of His body.
Sometimes rest isn’t self-care.
It’s obedience.
Sometimes the most faithful thing you can do is listen to your body and trust that God is not disappointed by your stillness. He’s present in it.
If you find yourself sidelined today—by pain, exhaustion, or circumstances you didn’t plan—know this: you are not failing. You are responding to an invitation.
Sit down.
Let the world wait.
God will still be there when you stand back up.
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