How do I effectively embrace God's gift of rest?

Are you feeling overwhelmed, constantly running on empty, and struggling to find a moment's peace in your hectic life? Do you find yourself wondering if there's a way to balance your work, and your faith, and your personal life without burning out? Well, stick around, because today we're diving into a topic that might just be the game changer you've been looking for. We're going to explore the question: How do I effectively embrace God's gift of rest?

Welcome to the Ask Ralph podcast, where listening to an experienced financial professional with over 30 years of experience can help you make sense of confusing questions, current headlines and industry trends about taxes, small business, financial decision making, investment strategies, and even the art of proper budgeting. Ask Ralph makes the complex simple by sharing his real world knowledge from a Christian perspective with all things financial.

Now here's your host, Ralph Estep Junior.

Well now, let's take a look at yesterday's show. Yesterday, we tackled the differences between revocable and irrevocable trust. And the truth is understanding these types of trusts could be crucial for your estate planning. So be sure to check it out in our archives.

I got a heartfelt message from a listener that really struck a chord with me. Gina writes this. "Dear Ralph, I'm at my wit's end. I'm a small business owner and a devoted Christian, but lately, I feel like I'm failing at both. I worked seven days a week, from dawn to dusk, trying to keep my business afloat and provide for my family. But I'm exhausted, irritable, and worst of all, I feel disconnected from God. I can't remember the last time I truly rested or had a quiet moment to pray. How can I honor God's command to rest when there's always so much to do? I'm afraid if I slow down, everything will fall apart. Please help me."

Gina, let me tell you this, I hear you. And you're not alone in this struggle. This is a challenge that so many of us face in our fast-paced world. Let me share my own journey later on in the show and I'm going to offer you some insights to find that balance between work and rest that God intends for us. And just remember, this show is all about answering your questions. So if you've got a question you'd like me to tackle, go to justaskralph.com and leave us your question and I'll put it on the show.

You know what Gina, your question reminds me of this verse from the Bible. In the book of Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus says this. "Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in my heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." These words from Jesus reminds us that rest isn't just a suggestion. It's a gift from God and an invitation to find peace and renewal in Him and that's exactly what we're going to talk about today. But you might be asking, Ralph, how do we actually live this out in our busy lives?

A few years ago, I found myself in a similar situation, very similar to Gina's. I was working nonstop, seven days a week. I was burning the candle at both ends. I remember telling my wife sometimes I felt like I was burning the candle at three ends she looked at me like I was nuts. I thought I was being productive. I thought I was being efficient, and I thought I was being a good steward of the talents God had given me. But the truth is in reality, I was running myself into the ground.

I remember one particular Sunday morning. I was sitting in church. I was on my iPhone trying to finish up some work before the service started. My wife leaned over and whispered, "Ralph, when was the last time you actually listened to a sermon without checking your email?" Wow. Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. It was in that moment that I realized that in my pursuit of success and financial stability, I had completely lost sight of what truly mattered. I was so busy "doing" that I'd forgotten about "being". That being present, being still, being in communion with God. And listen, that was a moment. That was a wake-up call. It was that wake-up call I needed. I knew something had to change. Listen, I was terrified. Just like you Gina, I was worried that if I slowed down, everything would fall apart. It was fearful.

It was truly bothering me. But you know what? The opposite happened. As I began to intentionally set aside time for rest and reflection, I found that my productivity actually increased. My creativity flourished, my relationships improved, and most importantly, my connection with God deepened in ways I never thought possible. So you might be saying, Ralph, how did you make that shift? How did you do it? Let me share a few practical steps that helped me embrace God's gifts of rest. These won't work for everybody, but they work for me. The first thing.

Start small. I began by setting aside just 15 minutes a day for quiet reflection and prayer. There was no phone, no computer. No distraction. Just me and God. The second thing I did was I established a Sabbath. This wasn't easy at first. I committed to keeping the Sabbath holy as God commands us. For me, that meant no work on Sundays -period. I would find myself walking into my home office and say, stop Ralph. It's the Sabbath.

Number three. I redefined what productivity meant to me. I started measuring my day success, not by how much I accomplished, but by how well I listened to God's leading. That's my prayer every day. God lead me in your will. The fourth thing I did. I created boundaries. I set specific work hours and stuck to them. I resisted the urge to check emails or take calls after hours and that was tough. My wife said to me, Ralph, you're always on that dug on the phone and she was right. The fifth thing I did. I practice mindfulness.

I learned to be fully present in each moment, whether I was working, whether it was spending time with family, or I was in prayer, I was truly learning to embrace the journey. And the sixth thing I did. I embrace nature. I made it a point to spend time outdoors regularly. I'm marveled at God's creation, and I found rest in its beauty. And it's truly one of the reasons I moved to our farm. So I could be closer to nature and when times get crazy, I simply walk around the farm. Take a look at the cows, maybe walk the dog. It's truly my Haven. And look, these changes weren't easy at first. This was a paradigm shift. I changed my whole dynamic.

I had to fight daily against years of ingrained habits and those societal pressures coming at me from all directions. But let me just tell you the results were transformative. I found that when I truly rested, not just fake rest, just truly rested, not just physically, but spiritually and emotionally, I was able to approach my work with renewed energy. I was able to approach it with clarity and I was able to approach it with purpose. I discovered that rest isn't just about taking a break from work. It's about creating space in our lives to hear God's voice, to realign our priorities with His, and to remember our true purpose. When we rest in God, we're not just recharging our batteries. And this is the beauty of this. We're plugging into the ultimate power source. So Gina and to anyone else who's listening, who feels overwhelmed and exhausted,

I feel your pain. I've been there. I want to encourage you to take the first step towards embracing God's gift of rest. Trust that when you honor His command to rest and that His command is to do that, He's going to honor your obedience. And trust me, your work, your relationships, and your faith will all benefit.

And here's a funny thing. Remember this. God didn't rest on the seventh day of creation because He was tired. He wasn't. He rested to set an example for us because He knew we would be tired. He set an example to show us the rhythm of life He intends for His children. And listen, when we ignore that rhythm, we're essentially saying we know better than the Creator of the universe. I don't ever want to be accused of that. But when we embrace it, we open ourselves up to His wisdom. We open ourselves up to His peace and we open ourselves up to His purpose for our lives.

Let's pray together. Heavenly father, we come to You today, acknowledging our weariness and our need for Your rest. Forgive us for the times we prioritize our own agendas over Your command for rest. Help us to trust You enough to step back from our work and find renewal in Your presence. Give us the courage to set those boundaries, the wisdom to reorder our priorities and the faith to believe that when we rest in You. You will take care of all of our needs. Thank You for Your gift of rest.

May we embrace it fully and use it to draw closer to You. And I ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. I know I covered a lot today. So let's wrap up today's episode, let's recap some of the main points. Number one. Rest is not a luxury. It's a God given necessity for our wellbeing. It's not like it's some luxury. It's not a vacation. It is a God given necessity for us to be in a good place physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally. It's all about our wellbeing.

Number two. Embracing rest can actually increase our productivity and effectiveness. I found this in my own life. If you take the time to recharge, if you take those Sabbath days, if you take that time to disconnect, you will find that you are more productive and you're more effective. Number three. True rest involves more than just physical relaxation. I think we talked about that. True rest is about connecting with God and realigning our priorities. We have to look to Him and ask Him, God, what would You have me to do today? What are the priorities You have for my life?

And number four. Practical steps to use, like setting boundaries, establishing a Sabbath, practicing mindfulness can all help us cultivate a lifestyle of rest. Now listen, I know that making these changes can feel overwhelming. If you're struggling to find balance in your financial and spiritual life, I want to invite you to schedule a one-on-one consultation with me. For $150 consultation fee, we can dive deep into your specific situation and develop a personalized plan to help you achieve financial success while honoring God's principles.

That's why I do the show, including the principle of rest. So to book your consultation, just head over to askralph.com and click on the banner that says, "Book a call with Ralph". Can't get any easier than that. And here's the best part. If we can't develop a plan that you feel confident about, I will refund your consultation fee.

That's how committed I am to helping you succeed. This is my mission field. This is why I turn on a microphone. This is why I turn on the camera. This is why I do this daily podcast. So listen, don't let another day go by feeling overwhelmed and disconnected. I've been there. I've done that. I can help you get past that. Schedule your consultation today and let's work together to bring balance and purpose to your financial as well as your spiritual life.

That's what I'm doing. I'm marrying those two things. And be sure to tune in tomorrow when we'll be discussing "What are 5 of the most common places retirees spend their money in retirement?" It's an episode you don't want to miss. And remember this. I know you can feel it today in the passion in my voice. My passion is to help you achieve financial success. That's my goal.

That's my mission field. I want to see you live out your dreams. I want to see you grow in your faith. Because here's what I do know. Working together, we can master your finances from a Christian perspective and listen, here's the bottom line. If you can't figure out this financial piece. If you can't figure out how to handle the food, clothing, and shelter, you will never get to those higher levels of what we call self-actualization. It's a fancy word of saying, how do I get to God's purpose? Well let me help you with those baseline things.

Let me help you build that budget. Let me help you move on beyond doing that paycheck-to-paycheck life. Or maybe that feeling like you're moving three steps forward only to move four steps back, pushed back. Nobody wants that. I can help you develop that personalized plan, not some cookie cutter approach or what the world shows as being what you should do. I'm going to give it to you straight.

We're going to do it in terms of Biblical perspectives. And I guarantee you, if we can work together, you will get past this feeling. I'll show you how to do rest. I'll show you how to get your things in order. And I know I've said a lot today. So do this for me. Stay financially savvy, and on this Sunday, may God bless you abundantly.

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