0:00:04 - Eric
Well, hey, welcome to Your Encouraging 5-Minute Podcast. Give us the next five minutes if you got them, we'll give you some encouragement here.
0:00:11 - Heather
Yes, we will. Thanks for letting us hang out with you, thanks for letting us encourage you quickly so you can take this with you wherever you need it.
0:00:19 - Eric
You need rest. I know, I know, I know.
0:00:22 - Heather
Who are you?
0:00:22 - Eric
telling I need rest. I saw this list recently, Heather there are actually six different types of rest.
0:00:29 - Heather
Six.
0:00:30 - Eric
That exhausted me.
0:00:31 - Heather
Right, I just said, like wait a minute.
0:00:33 - Eric
And listen. These are in no particular order, although I think one stands out far and above over all the others, and we'll save that one till last.
0:00:41 - Heather
Oh, I see how you are.
0:00:43 - Eric
Physical rest is at the top of this particular list that I saw. Physical rest, you know obvious. Well, yeah, rest your body. Try to get seven, eight hours a night. Sleep well, stretch it can be hard to do, oh, my word. Yes, when to drink water before bed, or you know so. Physical rest is primary Mental and these Physical rest is primary Mental and these are all very closely related. Yeah, mental rest. Take a break from thinking so much Because you know you get lost in your thoughts. Yeah, it can start to feel overwhelming. So meditate on God's word.
Absolutely Take a walk, be in your own space.
0:01:18 - Heather
Well, sitting on the socials or watching, you know, streaming something that, right there, will cause you to just continue that spiral.
0:01:26 - Eric
That leads us right into what they call sensory rest. You need to unplug from screens for a while, enjoy some quiet time. That email, that text, whatever comes up in your feed, will wait, it'll always be there, and even if it's not, it's not the most important thing in the world. Sensory rest is important. Emotional rest is a big one. Be true to your feelings. It's okay to say no when you're tired. Somebody asks you can you be part of this or would you join us on Friday night? You can say no.
0:02:01 - Heather
And not feel guilty. Listen, this is your permission to say no. No is a complete sentence.
0:02:06 - Eric
You don't have to say well no because just say no, I think what happens sometimes you start making excuses and you feel bad.
0:02:13 - Heather
You feel?
0:02:13 - Eric
guilty for doing that For taking care of yourself.
0:02:16 - Heather
Right, get that emotional rest.
0:02:18 - Eric
So we've got mental, physical, emotional, We've got sensory and again these are all closely related. There's social rest, Recharge alone or with close friends. You can do either. Or You've got some very special friends in your life. Get them together. That's recharging. You don't need the big gatherings. You know that concert could wait. Oh goodness, right, All right, so we've saved the best till last because, we feel it's the most important type of rest that you need, that we need, and that is spiritual rest.
0:02:49 - Heather
Oh, my word.
0:02:51 - Eric
Yes, find true meaning. You know God's got a perfect plan for your life. Practice mindfulness. Spend time in nature. God's creation, his handiwork, you see it every day. Get out in nature, walk around and focus on his word. So we'll see it every day. Get out in nature, walk around and focus on his word. So see it's all encompassing spiritual rest?
0:03:10 - Heather
Oh, absolutely, and you know it's funny. I saw an article the other day that talked about how being outside and doing something as simple as walking can be as effective for things like depression as certain medications, which I thought was interesting. But when you are talking about spiritual rest, we don't have to look far for that, god took a day off Throughout his word.
0:03:30 - Eric
On the seventh day he rested.
0:03:33 - Heather
But now there are stubborn people a lot like stubborn people in my family, myself included that we will push and push and push, and push, and push and push and push until God's like okay I need you to lay down and rest.
And there's a prophet in the Bible, elijah, and he did everything God told him to do and he was pouring his heart out into this thing and there were some people and he was preaching God's word and he's teaching. And then he got so tired and everybody started getting angry with him and he's like Lord, just take me home, I can't do this. I am so, I just can't do this. And God said okay, rest, just lay here and rest. So he did and God woke him up, sent an angel and said Elijah, here's a little snack, so he ate a snack and here, go back to sleep. So he took another nap and then, pretty soon an angel, elijah wake up, got up, got his snack, traveled on to where A cave where he went back to sleep.
So if you don't take care of yourself, it's going to get to the point where God's going to have to make you do that. And you know how that is You're so tired you can't even think your knees get tired. There are times God will say if you're trying to ignore, okay, look, I know tired. Like there are times God will say if you're trying to ignore, okay, look, I know. God will say baby, I need you to rest.
0:04:48 - Eric
That spiritual rest comes right to his word, as always. You know even the story that Heather mentioned about Elijah God invites you in to rest in him. In Matthew, Matthew 11, 28,. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened.
0:05:06 - Heather
I think that's all of us, that's all y'all.
0:05:09 - Eric
Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Hey, listen, we hope you've been encouraged and we thank you for listening.