3 Ways to Find Rest Without Losing Momentum in Your Business

Hey Friend!

Do you struggle to find rest? Are you scared to rest? Does it feel like there isn’t enough time to really get rested? It’s easy to become resistant to rest, and stopping feels impossible when you’re trying to grow a business, keep up with your kids, do the housework and make time for God. But, our God isn’t a slave driver; He’s a loving and caring father who wants us to experience His joy, peace, and blessings. In today’s blog, we look at three ways to find rest without losing momentum in your business. 

3 Tips on How to Keep Momentum in Your Business While Still Getting the Rest You Need

Rest is a deeply biblical concept. Starting in Genesis 2, we see God resting after creating the world. He calls His followers to rest throughout the Old Testament (e.g., Exodus 20:8-11) and even says the land needs to rest (Leviticus 25:4). 

There are consequences when you don’t find rest

Rest isn’t optional! It’s an inherent human need that is part of how we were created. When we don’t take time to rest, we start to burn out, get anxious, and start striving. It also leads to mental health issues, and then those issues don’t get taken care of. Life gets more difficult despite our best efforts to strive and work harder. 
Burnout is the result of self-reliance. If we rely on ourselves, we aren’t trusting in God. If we can’t take time off to rest, we don’t trust that God can sustain our business. The other consequence of not resting is a lack of self-care and lack of fulfillment in our work. God has called us to work in many areas of our lives, so it is super critical that we take time to rest.

Burnout is the result of self-reliance.

– Stefanie Gass

Trusting God helps you find rest

I don’t think resting is part of human nature; it certainly isn’t part of mine! We are called to work and pour into others using our gifts. Work is part of the purpose of humanity. This is clear throughout scripture; for example, see Colossians 3:22 and 2 Thessalonians 3:10. 

We’ve got to trust God in our rest. Matthew 11:28 highlights the importance of partnering with God in your rest. Tell God your fears and worries about resting, whether you don’t know how to rest, are afraid to stop or don’t have time to rest. Allow Him to pave the way for you to find rest. 

Rest is inevitable, whether it comes crashing into your life or you choose to welcome it.

1. Find rest through God every day

We can’t find physical rest until we find spiritual rest and refreshment in God. John 15:1-17 reminds us that to persevere in our calling, we need to stay connected to the vine, which is Jesus. We can’t expect to experience success and God’s favor over our lives and businesses if we aren’t connected to Him. 
For me, this looks like waking up early at least five days per week and spending quiet time with God. That is a period of rest for me because there is a long list of things that I “have” to do. I’m sacrificing all the housework that is piling up, the emails that need to be answered, and the business projects that I “think” I should be working on.

What I do in my quiet time differs from day to day. Here are some of the things I do:

• Journaling 
• I pray and talk to the Lord
• I praise God
• Sometimes I cry
• I spend time soaking in His presence

It’s such a beautiful time and leaves me feeling so well-rested. I love being able to wake up so my body is rested from sleep and then spend time with God so that I’m refreshed, and my spirit is rested in Him. When I make that a priority and put God first, I’ve noticed a drastic difference in my days from when I don’t.

We are sacrificing our to-do lists to sit with God.
– Stefanie Gass

2. Create gray space in your week to find rest more often

Gray space is creating boundaries and opening up space more often for rest to occur. In these spaces, nothing is already scheduled to happen. As people (and productivity junkies), we think our schedules should be jam-packed with things to do. As soon as we see an open pocket of time, we have to put something in there. Even if it’s just 10 minutes, we go great; time to do the laundry.  

In the gray spaces, your job is to be less productive instead of being more productive. It’s the to-don’t list. You have to be okay with sitting in the mess and undone jobs and taking time from the busyness to rest. It’s learning to be present with God and not just go constantly from thing to thing.

You have to allow gray space. It is showing more obedience in your life to not do than do. You have to be intentional about being unproductive. Otherwise, this time will get absorbed into doing because that’s where we are most comfortable. 

For me, my gray spaces look like this: 

• A sabbath from Saturday noon to Sunday noon 
• Evenings after dinner
• Weekends in general

There is so much God wants to say to us if we’d just get quiet, sit and stop in His presence. It also provides needed perspective and reminds us it’s okay not to have it all together. Sitting in the gray space despite there being stuff to do takes so much trust. For me, it’s obedience, it’s healing, and it fuels me. 

3. Learn to take extended rest breaks without losing momentum in your business

When was the last time you took an extended break? It’s essential to take a longer break, whether that’s a vacation, a staycation, or a fast. It might be a fast from work, a spiritual fast, or food fast combined with a work fast. It’s so crucial to take extended breaks where you truly get to go inward. 

Any time I go away without phone service, I get downloads from God which lead to incredible things happening in my business when I get back. This blessing in my business came from not working in my business, which is counterintuitive. It shows God’s way versus the world’s way. The world says if you stop working in your business, it will fall to pieces, whereas God says, trust me with your business and honor my instruction to rest, and I will bless your business. 

There is a blessing God is trying to show you if you stop being busy!
– Stefanie Gass

Taking a 2, 3, or 4-day break doesn’t have to be expensive. You could go camping or have a staycation. If it’s too challenging having your phone and laptop around, try sending them on holiday somewhere (eg. your mom’s house) for a few days. God loves us so much that He isn’t going to punish us for rest; instead, He will reward us for our obedience.

I pray this has blessed you and encouraged you to take time to find rest. Rest is a normal and vital part of life. Taking time to rest helps us avoid burnout and show up at our best for our business. It also teaches us to trust in God and that rather than lose momentum in our business, He often chooses to bless our businesses while we honor Him by obediently resting. 

Do you notice a difference when you take time for God versus when you try to do it all in your own strength? Let us know in the comments below. We love to hear from you!

I pray this blesses you!

Xo,

Stef

P.S. Listen to podcast episode 457 for the full training on 3 Ways to Find Rest Without Losing Momentum in Your Business so you can find true success in the kingdom of God!

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