Youth Ministry Blog

Hey y’all!

Remember to rest. In our nonstop world, rest can seem counterproductive and wasteful. We often feel guilty for taking time for ourselves and God, even when there’s nothing pressing to do. Our society tries to tell us that our worth depends on how much we study or work or produce or give. While all those things are important, they don’t define us.

St. Francis de Sales said, “every one of us needs half an hour of prayer each day, except when we are busy — then we need an hour”. It might seem kind of backwards to spend more time in prayer when we’re busy, but it really isn’t. When you take time to rest in the holy presence of God, two things happen. First, you’re rejuvenated, energized, and empowered to do all that lies before you. Second, you become more productive because you can put things into perspective and get your priorities straight. 

I know I fall into the trap of thinking it’s selfish to rest. The fact of the matter is, it’s selfish not to rest. When we spend time with ourselves and with God, we become the best versions of ourselves. We can put more energy into whatever we are doing because we have that energy. If we work ourselves to the bone on a constant basis, whatever we’re doing will be done poorly. Sooner or later, we’ll get burned out, and we might even break down. Regular rest avoids these things.

Remember, there are two ends to every spectrum, and we also want to avoid the opposite extreme of resting to the point of laziness and procrastination. There is a time for hard work. There is a time to push past exhaustion and negative emotions and get things done. If we give up at the slightest inconvenience, nothing would get done at all. We just have to remember that the time for hard work is not all the time.

We also have to remember what rest really is. It’s not scrolling through TikTok for hours or taking a procrastination nap. It’s doing things and spending time with people that help us to recharge and reset. Above all else, the best way to rest is to pray. Now there’s nothing inherently bad about social media or naps, and nobody expects you to spend all your free time deep in prayer. Self-knowledge is key — we have to know ourselves well enough to know how we truly rest. Take time to think about what makes you feel the most joy and peace. It could be reading, or talking to a friend, or taking a walk. There are many ways to rest, and each person’s rest will look a bit different, but everyone needs to include prayer in their rest. Time with the Lord will rejuvenate and recharge us like nothing else will.

That’s all for now. Know of my prayers for you and your families, and please keep me and this ministry in your prayers.

Peace of Christ,

Miss Jessica

A.M.D.G.