The Gift of Rest

Well, I hope everyone turned their clocks back this weekend and got an extra hour of sleep. Spring forward, fall back! This is my favorite time change, and I always feel more rested this time of year. I know everyone doesn’t enjoy it as much as I do, but most of the time, I’m betting we could all use a little more rest.

It’s funny how excited we get about gaining just one extra hour. We treat it like a little gift, don’t we? But it got me thinking about how often we push ourselves to the point of exhaustion the other 364 days of the year.

There’s always something that needs doing. Another load of laundry, another email to answer, another project to finish. And somehow, resting can make us feel guilty, as though we should be doing something more productive. I know that’s the way I feel a lot.

But here’s something I’ve been reminded of lately. Rest isn’t a reward for getting everything done. It’s something God designed us to need.

Even in the very beginning, God established a rhythm of work and rest. Not because He was tired, but because He knew we would be. And I love what Jesus says in Matthew 11:28:

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Notice He didn’t say, “Come to me when you’ve finished everything on your to-do list.” He simply said, “Come.”

Maybe that’s what we need to remember as we settle into these shorter fall days. We don’t have to earn every quiet moment. Sometimes the most faithful thing we can do is put down what we’re carrying, sit a while, and trust that the world will keep turning without our constant attention.

So if you enjoyed that extra hour of sleep this morning, I hope you’ll carry a little of that restful spirit into the week ahead because sometimes the best thing we can do is stop doing—and simply rest in Him.

November 1, 2026, Morning Brew