You Need To Read This If You Don’t Take Breaks

We want to make a difference as young people. Show the people around us that although we’re still young, we can work hard, make an impact, and succeed with what we’re dedicating our time and energy into. 

So, we work hard. Very hard. 

We pile up the to-dos and responsibilities and set incredibly high goals that are barely reachable. Yet somehow, we manage to hit the daily goal consistently. We stay on track, check things off our lists, and hit the milestones we’ve been reaching for. 

When we realize we can do it, we try to add a little more to our plates. Another responsibility, another deadline, another daily goal. I know I can get more done if I just push a little harder! I don’t need that extra hour of sleep… Who says I have to eat meals with my family… I can definitely chop out that tiny bit of time to relax and replace it with some more work…

Before we know it, our time is so valuable and our schedules are so rigid that the slightest infraction sends our world spinning. The moment something comes up and we don’t reach every single goal, everything feels like it’s about to fall apart. We can’t sleep that night since we know there’s one thing left undone. 

We’ve hardly realized our identity, our very purpose, is getting all wrapped up in the amount of things we get done on a regular basis. How productive we are.

I know I’m not the only one. 

Not the only one who feels like more work equals more value. 

For a very long time, I felt this way. If I didn’t get a ton of things done in a day, I thought it was a waste and that I was being lazy and irresponsible. 

If I worked on a puzzle instead of drafting a blog post, I thought I was procrastinating. When I read books, I constantly felt guilty for not working on my own instead. Even the time I spent with my family was clouded with the thought that I should’ve been cleaning, doing school, writing more, graphic designing, etcetera. 

Needless to say, it was a very unhealthy lifestyle. Without saying the word, I knew what I was: a workaholic. I lived in a vicious cycle of working, working harder, and then thinking I wasn’t working hard enough. 

Although I knew that I should’ve been taking breaks, should’ve been going easier on myself, should’ve been enjoying life more, I couldn’t. It felt pointless to do nothing when I could be doing something. 

Slowly, I started to come out of it. A little. But there was still this nagging feeling in the back of my mind that was telling me I wasn’t doing enough. 

Thankfully, God didn’t want to leave me “slightly free”. These past couple weeks felt like a bombardment of messages from Him that all meant the same thing: Leah, just rest. 

A little over a week ago, I listened to an interview with an Israeli worship leader, and one thing that he said really stood out to me: “God rested, so we should rest.” 

Talk about epiphany! Well of course, that made perfect sense. So, I decided I wouldn’t write anymore on Sundays unless it was sheerly for pleasure. It was a nice break (and I made significant progress on my puzzle). 

Then, the very next day, the deal was sealed. 

I was tagged for a post on my writing community that someone had made. It was all about the importance of rest. The reason it stood out to me was because the girl’s story sounded so much like my own. 

I almost cried reading it. Someone who knew what the need to work harder felt like… yet recognized the fact that it shouldn’t be that way. 

At that moment, I realized… I could be free. I was free. Something clicked inside of me, and I haven’t been the same since then. That puzzle is almost finished. I’ve been enjoying my books. And as far as family time… it’s my favorite part of the day. 

All because the Lord reminded me of one very essential truth:

Even if I don’t get 101 things done in a day, I’m not lazy. The day wasn’t a waste. Why? 

Because I lived a day with Jesus. 

I was able to demonstrate His selfless love to those around me—by prioritizing them over my work—and walk in His rest. I think of a piece of dialogue from one of my writing projects: 

“But what drives you to get up every morning? What makes you want to even do each day?” Tessa knew she sounded desperate, but she didn’t care. She was. Derek took a moment to respond.

“It’s the fact that I’m not doing the day for myself. I’m doing it for God, and that gives me purpose. When I realize God has a job for me each and every day, I can’t help but be excited to wake up and step into whatever he has for me.” 

This is so true! Our purpose isn’t in how many things we get done, but in the fact that we are available—and listening— for God to work through us as He wants to.

If you’re struggling with rest this week, I want to tell you something. I understand what it feels like. It’s difficult to take a step back from work and allow yourself to breathe.

But you’re not falling behind, you’re not ruining opportunities, and you’re certainly not being lazy. You’re being wise, because you’re doing what God intended you to do—rest. 

Please, let yourself rest. Block out times of the day where you’re not going to work on a particular project. Plan for things to come up that interrupt your schedule, and don’t feel like you’ll later have to cram to catch up. Be okay with enjoying things that aren’t productive. 

Let life happen—and enjoy it. If you’re following the Spirit’s lead, you’re doing everything you should be doing, and nothing less. You’re right where you need to be.