Rest: God's Command and Preparation for His Warriors

In a world that glorifies constant hustle, rest is often seen as weakness.

The “No Days Off” mantra has intruded into the normality of manhood to believe that there’s no room for rest.

This has caused many men to work off of little-to-no hours of sleep, battering their body up unconsciously, and create wear and tear internally as well as externally.

While it is honorable on the surface, it’s not sustainable in reality.

If a soldier continues to shoot its rifle, which the rifle is built for, eventually the weapon will need to reload.

Without the reload, not only does the solider put himself and his squad in a defenseless position, but now the weapon becomes useless and no point of carrying.

Being able to reload keeps the weapon and the solider in the battlefield and on the mission.

Reloading, on its own, doesn’t eliminate the enemy but it does prepare you to do so.

Rest is your reload. Without your reload, you will eventually expose yourself and everything around you to being attacked.

Your business, your mission, your family, and everything around you will be harmed.

It’s time to reload with rest.

But rest is not just a pause; it is God's tool for preparation.

Let’s explore how embracing rest can make you the man God calls you to be.

Rest Is Your Preparation Tool.

Rest is not idleness; it’s preparation. It’s an attentive strategy that positions you to do greater.

Jesus understood this deeply.

In Mark 6:31, Jesus told His disciples, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

This was after intense ministry and miracles. Jesus knew that rest was essential for what lay ahead.

Rest refuels us, preparing us for the next challenge that will come.

One of my favorite verses is Proverbs 17:17 “A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.”

You are built to handle the adversity of life but not by the continuation of inefficient and half-hearted efforts due to lack of rest.

Even during workouts in strength training, if your body is not getting the proper recovery, the workouts will get worse and worse.

Your body will be more susceptible to injury, weakening of the immune system, and other possible ailments.

Rest doesn’t keep you stalling. Rest keeps you steady.

Rest Keeps Your Body, Mind, and Spirit in Position to Move Forward.

Rest is holistic.

It renews the body, mind, and spirit.

King David beautifully illustrated this in Psalm 23:1-3: “The Lord is my shepherd; I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.”

Rest positions us to move forward with strength and clarity, which are needed at the highest order from us. It’s the strength and clarity that allows us to win wars, fulfill work and business requirements as well as leading the families that look towards us for it.

When we neglect rest, we compromise ourselves and the mission.

Our bodies at some point will become weary, our minds will get cluttered, and our spirits will be drained when we put rest on the back burner.

Elijah’s story in 1 Kings 19 is a powerful example of this.

After his victory over the prophets of Baal, Elijah was exhausted and afraid.

He fled into the wilderness, where he prayed to die.

But God provided rest through an angel who gave him food and drink.

After resting, Elijah was able to continue his journey and fulfill God’s mission.

This is the same for you.

There may have been moments where the world has placed so much on you, that your only option to escape the heaviness is to check out.

Failure is a reality that we will face time after time. This is why rest is needed.

Rest opens up the opportunity to reassess and to recoup to stay on course.

Rest Is God’s Gift and Command to You.

Rest is a divine gift and command. God also rested on the seventh day after creating the world (Genesis 2:2-3).

The Sabbath was instituted as a day of rest, a command for us to follow.

Ignoring rest is ignoring God’s design for us.

In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus invites us to rest in Him: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Rest is an act of faith. It acknowledges that we are not self-sufficient as well as a reminder that God is in control.

By resting, we demonstrate trust in God’s provision and timing.

When you train your body, it rebuilds when you trust the timing of your recovery just as much as the time you put into the gym.

The same goes with your mind and spirit.

Rest is not an option; it’s essential.

The world will tell you to keep pushing, to never stop.

But remember, even Jesus took time to rest.

Rest is not a retreat or a surrender to life’s toil; it’s a strategic pause.

It’s your divine reset button, preparing you for greater battles.

Neglecting rest is neglecting your God-given potential.

So rest, recharge, and rise ready to conquer with the strength God provides.

Be the man who knows when to pause, so you can move forward with unstoppable force.

Rest is your weapon; use it wisely.

#christian #selfcare #faith

If you felt compelled by this, know that it’s possible to reload to prepare yourself for what God has prepared you to take on. Message me today here on LinkedIn to learn more on how to prepare your body, mind, and spirit as God intended.