Designed To Rest

October 3, 2023

Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)

I have to admit I’m an iphone guy through and through. 

Maybe you’ve been eagerly waiting for the new iphone release? Maybe you’re even reading this newsletter on the latest iphone - freshly dropped.

I can’t say I’ve got the latest edition, unfortunately. In fact, my iphone edition is so old it may make true iphone enthusiasts cringe. I’m an iphone guy mainly because I don’t want to go to the store and get anything else. 

I’m currently rocking the iphone 6s - and don’t plan to stop anytime soon.

The other day, one of my students approached me and saw I had this ancient 2015 edition iphone. 

“Does it still work?”

Of course it does. Kind of.

Haven’t connected to cloud storage in about 6 years. Still making it work somehow. LTE data is spotty at times. The battery lasts about 45 minutes without needing a bump. Webpage loading can get shotty. It’s working, but at a fraction of the intended design.

The wear and tear of use has driven this operating system to its max capacity. 

This device was never designed to run this hard for this long. 

I can’t help but see the metaphor for how most of our daily lives are lived without installing true rhythms of rest. A true flourishing lifestyle 

Directed rest.

Intentionally designed rest.

Burnout has become a badge of honor. Stress is the norm. Most leaders are living in a state of anxiousness all the time.

Feeling guilty for having a hobby. Feeling pulled in all kinds of directions. Falling behind at work. Falling behind at home. 

Never present. Rarely aware.

We weren’t designed to run this hard for this long.

Modern neuroscience is revealing what ancient biblical wisdom has taught us for thousands of years. 

We were designed to rest. We need to be intentionally still and on a regular cadence. 

Research has shown, when we direct our rest by introspection, self-reflection, and prayer we enhance the Default Mode Network (DMN) in our brain that improves overall brain function and mental, physical, and spiritual health.

“Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)

If you are finding yourself operating much like my old iphone, slow, run down battery, lacking the overall sharpness you once had, it’s not more of the “grind” you need.

It’s likely it’s time to remove some friction. Stop playing the game on our heels and start designing our weeks, months and years with restfulness intentionally built in.

You weren’t designed to run this hard for this long.

You were designed to rest.