The Importance of Rest

In today's society, people tend to forget how important it is to just kick back and relax once in awhile. Instead, we are constantly busy and running around like chickens with our heads cutoff. Phrases such as "time is money" and "no rest for the weary" have trumped "rest and relaxation" in this high-paced, materialistic world.
Rest days are also very important in the realm of distance running. One cannot constantly train and expect results. Overtraining will kick in and one will have more setbacks than breakthroughs once that point is reached. Thus, being conservative in training is typically the way to go when aches and pains arise. I typically am one to savor my rest days and today seems to be a fitting day to blog about rest because I am taking the day off from running. My main reason for rest is the fact that I ran for 2 hours on an indoor track yesterday and my body needs to recover. My two secondary reasons are the fact that it is raining and it happens to be my birthday, so relaxing seems to be the smartest decision all around.
It is also important for our souls to rest and relax, especially when feeling overwhelmed by life. Just at that point where we feel like we are on the verge of collapse from stress, or life in general, is when we should turn to God so that we can take a breather. If you turn to Matthew 11:28-30 in your Bible, Jesus says, "'Come to me, all 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 heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.'" In essence, Jesus is trying to remind us that God is in charge of our lives and that if are just willing to relinquish control and hand everything over to Him, we will find the rest we are searching for. We will never find rest on our own, though. We will only find rest for our souls when we hand over our burdens and take up the yoke of Christ because only His yoke is light. So remember, whenever you feel beaten down in your busy life,  take the time to turn to God and you will be able to kick your feet up and enjoy some much needed rest and relaxation.