Rest as a Spiritual Rhythm: Finding Your Flow through Sacred Pauses
WRITTEN BY HANNAH ROWEN FRY
Take a deep breath. You made it.
You’ve journeyed through the past seven weeks with us resisting what everyone around us tells us is normal. You’ve paused. You’ve practiced Sabbath. You’ve sloooooooowed down, even if just for the time it takes to read these blogs.
Although our journey through the Revolution of Rest ends here, this revolution can continue in your own life. We invite you in this final week to incorporate rest as a Spiritual Rhythm.
Discovering your natural rhythm allows you to stop asking, “What’s wrong with me?” when you see others live out their faith in different ways than you.
Years ago, I took a personality test of sorts that revealed the concept of natural rhythms. Some people have a natural daily rhythm, some a weekly one, and some operate more seasonally. Those with a daily rhythm tend to wake up at the same time each day, eat the same things for breakfast, and generally live their lives with little change from day-to-day. These people tend to have regular, set apart daily quiet time with God through Scripture reading.
I thought this was the only way to have a relationship with Jesus until I took this test. It explained that some people operate on a more weekly rhythm–they may not read the Bible each day, but they do three to four days per week. They consistently attend and thrive in church or small groups because their brains default to weekly activity, finding daily ones to be legalistic, and a hindrance to their faith. In each of these styles, a person can have a thriving, devoted faith and growing relationship with God.
Still there is a third default that some people operate in based on seasons. These seasons don’t necessarily follow the seasons we think of - winter, spring, summer, or autumn. These seasons may instead follow school semesters or career quarters. However, the seasons may also be just a month long or years long! For example, the toddler-raising season may be a two-year endeavor, but the surgery recovery season may only take six weeks. This person’s faith may be more focused on solely Scripture reading for a season then shifting to a season of serving. Their faith may be focused on the Gospels in one season and the Psalms the next.
None of these default rhythms are better or worse than the other. Instead, they are freeing. Discovering your natural rhythm allows you to stop asking, “What’s wrong with me?” when you see others live out their faith in different ways than you. Instead it allows you to lean in to who God made you to be. You can experience freedom in knowing that no matter what your daily, weekly, or seasonal routine is, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8 NIV). The truth is, God is with you and loves you unconditionally no matter your rhythm.
What Can Rhythms of Rest Look Like For You?
We’ve just come out of a daily (posts on social media), weekly (email and blog), and seven- week long seasonal rhythm of the Revolution of Rest together. Moving forward, think about what Rest as a Spiritual Rhythm could look like in your life given your natural rhythm. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Daily
Journal a Proverb per day - there are 31 chapters in the book and 31 days in most months
Prioritize daily rest or quiet time, no matter how short or long it may be
Spend ten minutes each day in silence, resting in the presence of the Holy Spirit, maybe in the car on your commute to work or at home while everyone else is asleep
Say “No” to something every day for the sake of revolutionary rest
Sabbath once per week
Weekly
Set a weekly Scripture reading goal rather than a daily one - you can even read it all in one sitting if you want!
Linger at church a little longer, savoring the time of community and corporate worship
Plan a weekly family dinner with no electronics or distractions
Intentionally slow down the areas you tend to feel most rushed, resisting the urge to hurry, do more, or do better
Sabbath once per week
Seasonally
Plan a regular (monthly, quarterly, or biannually) retreat for you or your family - heck, why not do one for just you and one for your family each season!
Become a church or community volunteer with a three to six month commitment
Use your church’s sermon series as a guide to dive deep into Scripture, studying the same passages on your own while at home
Think about how God might be speaking to you in each season and respond accordingly
Sabbath once per week
No matter your default rhythm, a weekly Sabbath may be the single most revolutionary change you can make to your routine. It’s revolutionary to simultaneously fight both laziness and legalism, yet that’s exactly what Sabbath does! In Bible times, Sabbath was a day of rest which included no work at all–no labor, no movement, no lighting of fire, no expending energy of any kind. Following this example today would mean no driving, no doing laundry, no cooking, and no turning on the TV. When was the last time you did no laundry or dishes on your day off?
Resist the fear of looking lazy, knowing that intentional rest is not a waste of time. Resist the temptation of legalism, knowing that “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27 NIV). Embrace your natural rhythm as a way to find freedom and rest!
We invite you to continue on in this Revolution of Rest. Our seven weeks together are coming to an end, but your eighth week is just beginning. Continue to resist the hustle of the world around you. Continue to believe that success can be slow. Lean in to the rhythm God created you with and use it to glorify him.
Embrace Rest as a Spiritual Rhythm each day, week, or season starting now.
For further reading on rhythms, visit unforcedrhythmsbook.com. For more ideas on how to practice a Modern Day Sabbath, visit legacyrootsco.com.
About the Author
Hannah Rowen Fry is a writer and speaker passionate about helping people live into their God-purpose. Her thoughtful reflections on Scripture invite those who feel overwhelmed to slow down, choose simplicity, and experience greater joy in the present moment. Hannah lives in Florida with her husband Matt and spends most of her free time at the beach or DisneyWorld. Read more about Hannah and her work at hannahrowenfry.com.
Thanks For Journeying With Us.
During this transformative journey, we've embarked together on a profound exploration into the Revolution of Rest. It's been an enlightening adventure filled with thought-provoking content and actionable insights to meaningfully weave rest into your life's rhythm.
But it doesn't end here. Let's stay connected as we continue this quiet revolution.
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