So far in our series we’ve talked about three ways leaders can rest: Finding your safe place, finding true Sabbath, and finding fulfillment in your family (and having fun doing it!). The last and most important way to renew yourself is by finding time with God. This is a practice I encourage all leaders to make a part of their year. It’s something I do, and have passed down to my daughters who are now in full-time ministry positions as well. Finding quiet time with God is something you should do every day in whatever form you’d like. But it’s also important to remove yourself from your routine in order to spend time alone with Him. I like to do this quarterly. I’ll take prayer breaks — away from people — to renew myself spiritually. I’ll rent a hotel room for two days. I’ll study, read books not tied to work, pray and read Scripture. The breaks are important too — practicing rest can look different for different people. You’re allowed to take naps, eat, maybe you want to work out at the hotel gym or swim a few laps. But disconnecting from the craziness and pressures of life is a non-negotiable in this. No phone calls or social media. No television. I put these days on my calendar, four times a year. But I don’t consider it a vacation. These breaks are hard. They’re good, but they’re difficult. It’s a lot to push through! You can do this in the way that works for you. Maybe you would feel more comfortable out in the woods or submerged in nature. Maybe you want to start your 48 hours of solitude on a hike with nothing but your Bible and your thoughts. The how is not as important as the what — which is stripping down your life for a couple days in order to spend time talking and listening to God’s voice. — I hope you’ve seen how crucial rest really is over the course of our series. Rest is more than binging a show on Netflix or getting a good night’s sleep. It’s a lot more intentional than we think, which is why setting time aside to be renewed is crucial to every leader’s life. [bctt tweet="Setting time aside to be renewed is crucial to every leader’s life." username="dukematlock"] The holiday season can be stressful; the chaos might make us forget the things we have to be grateful for. Please, make space for rest and thankfulness as the new year approaches!
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