Hey my friend welcome to the latest edition of my newsletter, thanks for being here! If this blesses you, share it with someone who needs it. They can sign up free at thelowkeychristian.com/newsletter. God bless you, now let's get into it.
I spent last Sunday feeling guilty for doing nothing.
Not "nothing" as in something bad. Actual nothing. I sat on the sofa. I watched something mindless on TV. I didn't open my Bible. I didn't pray some powerful kingdom prayer. I just existed.
And the whole time, a voice in my head kept saying "You should be doing more."
Sound familiar?
Today: Why doing nothing might be the most obedient thing you do this week.
PERMISSION TO REST
We've turned rest into something we have to earn.
Finish the to-do list, then you can rest. Hit your goals, then you can rest. Read your 5 chapters, pray for 30 minutes, serve at church, disciple someone, share the gospel with a stranger, and THEN maybe you've earned an afternoon on the sofa.
That's not biblical. That's burnout with a Christian label on it.
Here's what God actually says:
"My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
He doesn't say "I will give you rest after you've done enough." He doesn't say "rest is for the strong." He says I will give you rest. It's a gift. Not a reward.
And then there's this:
“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
Notice who He's inviting. Not the people who have it together. Not the ones who've ticked every box. The weary ones. The burdened ones. The ones running on empty and pretending they're fine.
That might be you right now. And if it is, I need you to hear something clearly: rest is not laziness. Rest is obedience.
God created the entire universe in six days and then rested. Not because He was tired. He's God. He doesn't get tired. He rested to show us something. To build it into the rhythm of creation itself. To say "this is how life works. You go, and then you stop. And the stopping is just as holy as the going."
But we've ignored that. We've glorified the hustle. We've made busyness a badge of honour. We've confused exhaustion with faithfulness. And then we wonder why we feel empty, why our prayers feel dry, why we can't hear God's voice anymore.
Maybe you can't hear Him because you never stop long enough to listen.
I used to think that resting meant I was wasting time. That every moment I wasn't being "productive" for the kingdom was a moment wasted. But productivity is not the same as fruitfulness. You can be incredibly busy and completely empty at the same time. I know because I've done it.
The most fruitful seasons of my faith have always come after the moments where I stopped trying so hard. Where I let go of the pressure to perform and just sat with God. No agenda. No checklist. No "quiet time" formula. Just being with Him the way you'd sit with a friend in comfortable silence.
That's what rest looks like. And God isn't disappointed in you for needing it. He designed you for it.
YOUR ONE THING FOR TODAY
It's Sunday. Give yourself permission to do less today. Not zero, just less. Cancel one thing you don't actually need to do. Sit somewhere quiet for 10 minutes with no phone, no Bible, no agenda. Just breathe and say "God, I'm resting in You today." If guilt shows up (and it will), remind yourself: this isn't laziness. This is what He asked me to do.
God, I'm tired. Not just physically. My soul is tired. I've been running and striving and performing and somewhere along the way I forgot that You never asked me to do all of this. Forgive me for turning my faith into a to-do list. Today I'm choosing to rest. Not because I've earned it, but because You told me to. Help me to sit in Your presence without feeling guilty about it. Teach me that being with You is enough, even when I'm not doing anything. I don't need to earn Your love. I already have it. Amen.
FROM THE ARCHIVE
If you've been running on empty and calling it faith, I made a video called Give Me 8 Minutes And I'll Help You Get Closer To God. It's a short, honest reset for when everything feels dry.
OVER TO YOU
Be honest. When was the last time you rested without feeling guilty about it? Hit reply and tell me. I think the answer might surprise you.
God bless you, my friend.
The LowKey Christian
P.S. My eBook Locked In With God has a whole section on building rest into your rhythm with God. It's not about doing more. It's about showing up consistently without burning out. Grab it here: https://thelowkeychristian.com/ebook