Physical Rest
The focus this week is :
Physical Rest
This week we are going to focus on what Jesus did rather than the words He said.
I will be doing a little series on the different areas of rest and how they can help us replenish and restore specific areas of our lives.
Defination
Physical rest is any activity
that releases tension
and restores calm
to the
physical body.
Verse
Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”
Putting the verse into context :
Jesus’ ministry was starting.
In the book of Mark, before this storm these were the things that had happened :
- He was baptized by John (Mark 1:9)
- He was tempted in the wilderness (Mark 1:13)
- He started teaching with authority in synagogues (Mark 1:22)
- He was casting out demons (each of them called Him the Son of God) (Mark 1:39, Mark 3:11)
- He healed lepers, the sick, and paralyzed (Mark 1:40, 1:31, 2:5, 3:5)
- He gave authority to his twelve disciples (3:14)
- He was preaching to large crowds (Mark 4:1)
Then comes the story of the storm in Mark 4:35 – 41
Jesus Calms the Storm
35 As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” 36 So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). 37 But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.
38 Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”
39 When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. 40 Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
41 The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”
Jesus was tired!
38 Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”
We all need physical rest. It’s mandatory for living. If we don’t get enough sleep, our bodies physically shut down.
The same is true for Jesus. He chose to be human and therefore needed to obey the rules of being human.
We see in this passage that even Jesus needed physical rest. He had been ministering to huge crowds non-stop and I imagine was exhausted.
I can picture the storm rising, stirring up in front of the boat. There was probably lightning and thunder and terror in the air. The boat was filled with water, probably being tossed back and forth, and the disciples were terrified.
In the middle of all this, Jesus was sleeping. I don’t know about you, but if I was in a boat during a storm, I would not be able to sleep!
But Jesus was at peace. He knew that no matter what happened, He was in control. There was no need for Him to worry or be anxious.
The disciples woke Him up and said, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” In other words, they were asking, “Jesus, don’t you care about us? Aren’t you worried about what’s happening?”
Jesus calmly got up and rebuked the wind and waves. And suddenly there was a great calm.
Lesson to learn :
This passage shows us that it’s okay to take a physical rest, even when there are things going on around us that seem chaotic or out of control. We see that Jesus was able to take physical rest and still have everything under control.
So if you’re feeling overwhelmed or like you can’t keep your head above water, take a break and rest. It’s okay to do so, and you’ll be better off for it in the long run.
It’s not selfish or lazy to take time for yourself. Sometimes we need to just be still and let God take care of everything.
We need to make sure we’re taking care of our physical bodies and getting enough rest. We can’t pour out from an empty cup.
Mind
Think about what helps you relax and replenish your body other than a quick fix like caffeine or medicine. Try out something new this week like a quick yoga video or a nice walk outside!
Body
What is your body trying to tell you? Listen to it! Are you burning the candle at both ends? Is there something you can delegate more or let go for now? Do something this week that relaxes your body and is restful.
Spirit
I might just be typing this to myself but maybe someone else needs it too :
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO IT ALL! IT IS OKAY TO TAKE A BREAK! THE WORK CAN WAIT! YOU NEED TO REST YOUR BODY!! YOU WILL FEEL BETTER AFTER A PERIOD OF REST!
Ways to replenish your physical rest:
In the book, Sacred Rest by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, she describes two types of physical rest: Passive physical rest and Active physical rest.
Passive physical rest is outside our control and comes in the two common forms of sleeping and napping.
Active physical rest helps to relax tensions and restore calm. This type of rest can come in the form of stretching, breathing, bubble baths, prayer walks, or yoga.
No matter what type of physical rest you need, make sure you’re taking the time to replenish your energy levels. Your body and mind will thank you for it!
Jesus needed passive rest. He was exhausted and His body took the sleep it needed.
It is difficult to hear the soft whisper over the noise of a busy schedule. It’s easy to drink one more cup of coffee, take an ibuprofen for your neck ache, or to just ignore the ache in your shoulders all together. But when we do this, we are telling our bodies to just keep going when what it really needs is rest.
If we want to be able to hear from God and have the strength to follow His leading, we need to make sure we’re taking care of our physical bodies and getting enough rest, both passive (sleep) and active (relaxing and restoring).
The take away for us is that we need to make sure we’re taking care of our physical bodies and getting enough rest. We can’t pour out from an empty cup. So if you’re feeling overwhelmed or like you can’t keep your head above water, take a break and rest. Listen to your body and give it what it needs. It’s okay to do so, and you’ll be better off for it in the long run.
Next week, we’ll look at rest and the other types of tiredness that everyone experiences. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to the weekly newsletter! Sometimes there are little golden nuggets of knowledge in them just for my email friends!
Share this with a friend who might benefit from it too.
Also check out 4 reasons why prayer matters
If you have questions or comments about this series, please feel free to email me at gracefuldaysfarm@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you!
Blessings,
Katie
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