Yesterday, I spoke with an old friend on the phone. It was wonderful to hear her voice and find out what had been happening in her world. Friday’s are her day off, and she told me that she struggles with actually giving herself the day to just do nothing, and then immediately feeling guilty about it.

I laughed. I think we all do it to a certain extent. I know I do. Actually, I did it just this morning when I started to rise at my usual early hour, but really wanted to roll over and go back to sleep. I was torn between knowing there was really no reason at all that I couldn’t sleep in a little on this Saturday morning, and knowing that the TENS of readers that read this blog might be waiting on me, and who am I to keep them waiting?!

I obviously came to my senses and gave myself a break this morning. It’s a late post, and I decided it was okay if some people didn’t read all my great words of wisdom (ahem), because, hey, maybe they need a break, too.

Really, why do so many of us struggle with guilty feelings about allowing ourselves some rest? Even an hour or two? I’ve decided it’s because we so often find our worth in our doing. Whether it’s jobs, families, volunteering, or whatever else, we feel like the world will stop moving if we step off of it for a bit.

Guess what?

If you pull your hand out of a bucket of water, there will be a little ripple, but then you would never know it was even in there.

When we find our worth in what we do – good things, certainly, but still the wrong things – we place just a leeeetle too much importance on ourselves. However, if we find our worth in being a child of God, we can rest in the fact that we’re important because of Him, and you know what He did? He worked hard, then gave Himself a break.

I’m thinking that if the ONE PERSON, who really could cause the world to stop moving, thinks it’s okay to take a break, we can too. Go ahead. Realize why you’re really important and follow His lead today.

Really, you can do it.

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:29 MSG

“So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.” Genesis 2:3 ESV

“Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.” Ephesians 2:7-10 MSG