One of the major keys to a prosperous soul is coming to Jesus regularly for rest. Life and ministry apart from these daily, intimate times with Him will wear you out.
Coming to Jesus daily produces peace and provides you with God’s perspective. It’s a whole lot better than burning out and quitting your assignment!
Your soul must rest to prosper just like your body needs rest to be in good health. Yet many times, we aren’t allowing our souls to rest. And an un-restful soul is an un-prosperous soul.
You will work so hard that your body can’t rest—leading to burnout, exhaustion, depression, and physical problems. The antidote to this is coming to Jesus daily and casting your cares over on Him.
The Word tells us a primary cause of people failing to find rest is from taking on yokes and burdens that are not from Him.
We often make commitments to others for fear we won’t be accepted, liked, or approved of by them.
That is a self-made trap of the enemy, designed to keep you out of the purpose God has for your life. People will place demands on you, but to say “yes” to everyone is to take on more than Jesus gave you. Jesus didn’t say “yes” to every person or situation and neither should we.
Taking on responsibilities that aren’t initiated by the Holy Spirit is a recipe for failure. And if not remedied, you’ll become worn out, frustrated, and quit everything, including the things the Lord lead you to do!
For your soul to rest and prosper, come to Jesus and find out what things He has assigned. That’s the only burden He expects you to carry. His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
Does He give you responsibility? Yes, but it is not burdensome, exhausting, or overwhelming.
If it’s burdensome or heavy, it’s not Jesus! Knowing what He’s called you to do and being able to say “no” to everything else will produce peace.
The Greek word for rest is anapausis, which means “a pause; intermission; refresh” or “to take ease.”
Many people turn to hobbies or some form of entertainment when things become stressful. While there’s nothing wrong with physical entertainment and fun, it will never bring complete rest. At best, it is a temporary relief.
True rest can only be found in the presence of Jesus.