Sometimes a person can get relief by just slowing down. Runners in training will go from running to jogging in order to catch their breath. But the best way to get relief is to stop altogether. That way you can really catch your breath.
When life is busy, sometimes we dream of having a little less to do – a slower pace and a lighter burden would be so much better. We could handle that! Yet there are times when life gets beyond busy and becomes hectic. We become exhausted and ready to collapse. Then, we need to do more than just slow down. We need to stop and rest.
Well, we can’t always arrange a getaway, and sometimes we are truly trapped in our circumstances. But there is something you can do – you can take a mental, emotional, and spiritual break by spending a few minutes with Jesus. In Matthew 11:28 Jesus said, “Come unto me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” In the midst of our labors and heavy burdens, Jesus offers us rest if we will spend time with Him.
The word “rest” is an interesting word in this regard. It is the Greek word anapausō, which is a compound word. The word means “to stop, to quit,” and the prefix mean “up.” So the compound word literally means “hold up, stop in your tracks,” and by implication, “to rest, to be refreshed.”
Well, what Jesus is really saying is that in the midst of our busy, hectic schedules, if we will come to Him. He will cause us to hold up – to actually stop in our tracks so that we can be refreshed. Now that is what it means to have a quiet time. For ten or twenty minutes (or a half hour, or more…), we need to stop what we are doing and to spend time with Jesus
- to meditate on His goodness and get a fresh perspective on things
- to take an emotional break and let Him refresh our soul
So, do you do that? “Come to me,” Jesus said, “and I will give you rest.”
Now you know the real meaning of the word.
It is a fact: A quiet time with Jesus is the best way to face any day!