Rest makes you faster. 

So says a friend whose running advice I’ve come to trust. 

Rest gives the body time to heal and repair itself, making adaptations that will improve future performance.  It also provides a mental break to reflect and re-evaluate before proceeding.  Energy is conserved and stored, and as anyone with a case of the taper crazies can tell you, you can actually feel it building up in your system, just waiting to be released.

Our spirits need rest just like our bodies. When we are quiet and still, we heal and recover.  There’s growth and change that enables us to go beyond where we’ve been.  When it’s time to re-engage, we do so renewed, refreshed, and re-energized, full of God’s Spirit. We feel our spirits quickened and often see an explosion of power. 

Many of us struggle to rest, fearing we’ll lose ground if we’re not working as hard as we can. But sooner or later, we all hit a point of diminishing returns.  Past that point, the most productive thing we can do is recharge our batteries. 


So in running and in life, let us follow God’s example and regularly set apart times to rest, trusting Him and knowing we’ll be better for it.