Why Rest In Motherhood Is Important & How You Can Find It

Feeling Weighed Down, Tired or Exhausted? Sick and tired of being sick and tired? For the mumma who is feeling like she is running on empty, under the weight of the world, or just caught up in the 'hustle' - sister, it's time to find some real rest. Yes, even in the midst of motherhood you can, and need to, rest. In this episode we look at what is rest and what does the bible says about rest, why it's actually critical if you want to show up and be present with your kids and what you need to do to get some rest.

Welcome back to The Wholesome Mumma Show. Today we're going to be talking about rest and how mums need it too because we get so caught up, particularly this time of year with Christmas and holidays and all the things, we get so caught up in the hustle of everything, trying to get everything done, that we often forget that we need rest too. And by rest, I mean more than sleep because yes, we need our eight hours each night, but we actually need moments of rest as well.

So mama, did you know that you aren't actually meant to carry heavy burdens? You aren't meant to feel under the weight of the world? I think some of us get so caught up in the mentality of trying to do all the things that we forget that we actually have to be. Matthew 11:28-30 in the Passion Translation says, "Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? Then come to me. I will refresh your life. I am your oasis. Simply join your life with mine, learn my ways. And you'll discover that I'm gentle, humble and easy to please. You'll find refreshment and rest in me. For all that I require of you will be pleasant and easy to bear."

That's Jesus talking and it's such a beautiful representation of Him. He is so gentle, he's so willing and is wanting us to give over our burdens to him. He is not wanting us feel like we are under the weight of the world, trying to do everything in our own strength and he's so able to take it and give us peace and rest. We can forget as well that Jesus is there waiting, just waiting to give us the rest that we so desperately need. And I don't know about you, but I often forget that having a Sabbath is one of the commandments. And I know, yes, this is a bit of a biblical episode, but bear with me though, because the principle is utterly important. So we are so happy to keep the commandments around, do not steal, do not murder all those ones. But how often do we forget to practice a Sabbath and to keep it Holy. For God to give us that as a commandment, I think that means that must be a pretty important thing to him.

And what did he do when he created the world? He modelled that on the seventh day, he rested. I'm absolutely not saying that you have to observe the Sabbath like they did in ancient times where it has to be a Sunday or Saturday, but I absolutely think that we do need to be intentional about observing a time of rest, of Sabbath. And there's kind of no other word, like Sabbath to fully understand what I mean. The beautiful thing is that when we sleep God works, he doesn't need to rest. Did he choose to after he created the world? Yes. But does he need ongoing periods of rest like us? Absolutely not, but we do. We need rest. We need time out. We need time of not trying to do all the things and time to just be.

Our culture, I know this might be a little bit confronting, but the culture of the world that we live in is so focused on hustle and doing all the things, being in competition with everyone and even in competition with ourselves. But actually we just need time to be, we just need time to rest. And particularly as mothers where we are constantly giving, giving, giving, I don't know about you, but I certainly feel like that a lot of the time. And I was even talking with my husband about this the other night, because I was just saying that I was so exhausted and he asked if I needed an early night. And I said, no, not like sleep. I'm just, I'm exhausted because I feel like I'm giving, giving, giving. I'm growing a baby, but we also have two toddlers that require a lot of me all day. And then he gets home in the evening and then we then want to spend time with each other. But it's another thing that I'm giving, giving, giving to.

And so I just said, I'm just exhausted. I'm just so tired of feeling like I'm needing to keep emptying myself that I'm not taking time to refill myself. And yes, you could look at that is in self care and needing to do that. But I think that it goes so much deeper than just practicing some self-care. It's like a void in your soul and sorry, mama, ain't no mud mask for 10 minutes going to fill it. It might help pick it up for a little bit, but it's not going to fill it. I know that we need deep utter rest and that rest is found in Jesus. And I really didn't mean for this to become a "preachy" message.

It's so important for mothers to hear that you are not meant to be so burdened down. You're not meant to be so weighed down. In different seasons, yes, it's going to look different. It is a lot harder for me to have some time of pure rest are with two toddlers at home. The one day, a week that they go to my mother's house is the day that I work and get these episodes recorded because I'm not recording with two toddlers running around. So it is harder for me to find times. And I know that when they're older, maybe it won't be as hard, but maybe there will be new challenges come up where it is hard. So I think that it's not a thing of being able to say, I'll rest when they're five, I'll rest when they're ten, I'll rest when they leave home. If you keep coming up with excuses, you're never going to get to a place where you allow yourself to rest.

So practically though, how do we rest beyond sleep? Does it count to rest in front of the TV and watch Netflix?

Rest is going to look so different for each person, but there's a few fundamental thoughts that I think will really help fuel you and fill you in those moments where you are needing rest. The first one is to dedicate time to rest. Be intentional about setting a time in your calendar, just like you would any other appointment, whether that's a specific day or an afternoon, evening or even a lunch break. Look at your calendar and find a time to set aside to rest.

Then you are probably thinking, what am I meant to do when I'm resting? This is our problem because we get so caught up in the 'do' - what am I meant to DO while I'm resting? Was that your first thought? Because it is certainly my first thought when I think about rest. Okay, rest, what will I do? And again, we're getting caught up in the do. The verse I shared earlier says - just come with me, find my peace, just be, so I think it's more about taking to him and asking him, what do you need me to let go of? What am I holding onto that isn't mine to hold on to?

That verse in another translation says, "are you tired? Worn Out? (check, check) Burned out on religion? Come to me, get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me, watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill fitting on. You keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

So it's less than about doing and it's more about being, being with Jesus. I know this year has been such a heavy year for so many of us. Through all of this, though, the light that has come forward is how much more we need to be intentional and how much more we really need to look at our values and value rest and lay down what we need to lie down. And part of this is that we can then be free to be present with our family, with our husband, with our children. And that's my prayer for you.

This message to you today was to let all your worries go, let all your anxiety go, let everything that is feeling heavy and feeling ill-fitting on you go, and say yes to more God, more yes to Jesus, more yes to your family, more yes to just being in beautiful moments of contentment. And that you will find rest, find real rest and find restoration and let go of what we need to and let God work through us and work in us. And then in those moments, we can then hear him speak to us and feel his presence in a deeper capacity. And that's really what I wanted to encourage you with today was to find true rest. Rest that is good for your soul.