Life can get busy at times. School, chores, family obligations, job/career, your community. It can all be a lot, and it can cause stress. So how do we manage it all? And why does it matter?

1. When God created everything in Genesis chapter 1, He set aside a time for rest.

2. God commands those who believe in Him to keep one day set aside for rest and worship.

3. Jesus said "come to me and take rest, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

It is Biblical to take a rest or a vacation. But notice that in the ways that God commands us humans to rest, it is an active rest. A rest that includes spending time reflecting on Him, refreshing yourself in the Bible, spending time in prayer. It isn't lazy, sloth-like rest. It is an active rest.

In the book of Galatians, Paul tells a story in chapter 1 about how he was converted to Christianity. He is telling the story about how after his conversion, he didn't go straight to work work work. No, he took 3 years "off" to study, reflect, pray, prepare.

There is also scientific evidence that explains the importance of rest and vacations. According to a study from the National Library of Medicine, when a person simply RECALLS happy memories such as vacations or trips, they dampen cortisol rise in their brain, that have increased reward-processing and emotion regulation, and they get an increase in restorative and protective function. These are all extremely healthy for our brains and therefore our lives.

Isn't it fascinating that God created us a certain way, and then finally when science can catch up to the Bible it simply proves the benefits to what God is commanding us to do in our lives?