Its okay to Rest
2026 has me filled with so much gratitude. When I think about all the places I could have been, I’m thankful that I’m exactly where I need to be.
I remember living in a place where I had strict timelines—what I needed to do and how I needed to do it, all within a short amount of time. Eventually, I realized how much pressure I had put on myself. In doing so, I left no room for God to intervene or move on my behalf.
I lived in traditions I was taught as a young girl that never honored rest. Sometimes culture can make us believe that rest is selfish, lazy, or unbiblical—which is the furthest thing from the truth.
I realized that my lack of rest meant I was consumed with busyness rather than aligned with God’s plans. My cortisol was high, I never seemed to have free time, my hobbies sat in the rearview mirror, and I was too tired for workouts or even keeping up with the schedule I created.
Saying yes to everything will cost you:
Time
Freedom
Peace
Clarity
And so much more
It wasn’t until I understood that saying no is sometimes obedience. Nowhere has God called me to say yes to everything, but it had become a preconceived obligation—one created in our minds that keeps us in cycles of people-pleasing and burnout.
First things first—God is a God of order. When I found myself scrambling to make time for everything on my to-do list, I had to ask: Was this something I truly wanted to do, or something I said yes to out of emotion?
Secondly, God never leaves us to carry weight on our own. I noticed that in the places where I felt most overwhelmed, I actually needed to lean in more—not hide from God, but seek His guidance and wisdom in moments of uncertainty.
Lastly, we are not called to be God for people. We are called to walk alongside them—as friends, brothers, and sisters in Christ. We can become so consumed with helping others that we forget to seek the Holy Spirit in how we steward the people placed in our lives.
When was the last time you prayed and asked God about someone?
Did He call you to minister to them, pursue a friendship, or simply encourage them?
Yes is an agreement. Yes can even be seen as a covenant. When we say yes, we are not just speaking words—we are making a commitment.
Matthew 5:37 says, “Let your yes be yes, and your no be no.”
When I find myself in moments where my heart and mind are in two different places, I give myself grace. I remind myself that it’s okay not to know—but my Father does. These are the moments where I pause, pray, and ask God for wisdom—not just to make a decision, but to make one that aligns with the season He has me in.
There have been seasons where I had the capacity to say yes to many things—and God graced me for it. But there have also been seasons where I didn’t have that same capacity, simply because I was no longer called to those same places.
Everything has a season (Ecclesiastes 3). What God has graced you for in one season, He may not grace you for in the next.
We see this throughout Scripture. The Israelites clung to familiarity and nearly forfeited the promise. Saul, in his misunderstanding, persecuted the very people he was later called to lead. David allowed his desires to lead him into sin—yet God still called him a man after His own heart.
The cost of your yes carries weight.
Don’t give it away so freely.
When you feel pressured to make a decision, ask yourself:
Is this pressure from God—or from my need to avoid disappointing others, being rejected, or not being enough?
Because that is not where your authority comes from.
When your yes is truly a yes—and your no is truly a no—you begin to stand firm in your words. You stop giving in to the false ideology that you are meant to meet every need, for every person.
People don’t need another distraction.
They need a Savior.
And God is not just Savior—He is Lord.
He cares deeply about the things and people you care about.