Why Rest Feels So Hard
Welcome to Part 4 in our 8-part series, Sweeter Than Honey, where we’ll use the rich imagery of bees, honey, and the rhythms of creation to explore how Sabbath invites us to step out of exhaustion and rediscover the sweetness, rest, and delight found in the presence of God.
Psalm 34:8
Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
If Sabbath is such a beautiful gift, why does it feel so difficult?Why do so many of us struggle to rest?
I know I do.
Truthfully, I have the hardest time with this especially if I haven’t been setting aside a weekly Sabbath day like I should. When I’m out of the habit of regular Sabbath-keeping and I try to stop for a day, I feel guilty. I feel like an unproductive member of my family. And that’s a lie from the evil one, isn’t it?
Maybe you know that feeling too.
There’s always more laundry. More emails. More responsibilities. More people depending on us.
Rest can actually feel uncomfortable.
But Sabbath is ultimately an act of trust. It says:
“God, I trust that the world will keep spinning without me.”
“I trust that my worth is not measured by my productivity.”
“I trust that time with You is not wasted—but essential.”
One of my favorite quotes comes from Martin Luther. He said, “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” What did he understand that we so often forget? Perhaps he understood that intimacy with God is not a distraction from life—it is the very thing that anchors life.
Wayne Muller, an author and minister, says “Sabbath requires surrender. If we only stop when we are finished with all our work, we will never stop, because our work is never completely done.” (Isn’t this the truth…just look in the sink or the laundry basket and you know it will be full again by the end of the day!)
Muller continues, “Sabbath liberates us from the need to be finished.”
What a powerful thought.
Many of us are exhausted not only physically, but spiritually. We are constantly trying to earn our worth. Constantly trying to prove ourselves. But when we trust God enough to rest, we begin to discover something beautiful:
God is not merely sufficient. He is delightful.
We don’t just need Him. We enjoy Him.
And that enjoyment—that delight—is what the psalmist is describing in Psalm 34:8.
How can we truly “taste and see that the Lord is good” if we never stop long enough to savor Him?
