185: Sacred Rest with Carly Stagg, FNP
God establishes the value of rest right from the beginning. (Genesis 2:3) But rest is SO much more than just sleep. Rest is stopping people pleasing. Rest is stretching your muscles. Rest is allowing time for God to pop creative ideas into your head. Rest is soaking in nature and beautiful art. Rest is unplugging from sensory overload. Rest is plugging IN to God’s Word.
In this week’s episode, Carly and I discuss God’s call for us to rest and the different ways we can do that. We also talk about how our health takes a hormonal nosedive when we constantly put work before rest.
Come take a deep breath, listen and be reminded why you’ve got to slow down sister. Your Almighty Creator calls you to rest and to know that your work is not the most important thing - He is.
EPISODE 185: Sacred Rest with Carly Stagg, FNP
Show Notes
(0:00) Intro
Hello my friend, welcome back to the club, how are you today?
(3:16) Anchoring in scripture:
“Come to me, all you 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.”
Matthew 11:28-30
(9:10) Sabbath
How are we stewarding our time?
The word Sabbath originally derives from the Hebrew word “shavat” which, although commonly translated as rest, also means “to cease.”
(16:40) What happens if we don’t live in the natural rhythm of work and rest in the way that God created us to?
Nervous system gets “Shot” or fried- see nervous system podcast.
Our adrenal glands suffer.
Our hormone production that cascades down further also is impacted negatively.
(28:55) 7 Types of Rest (from the book Sacred Rest by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith)
The first type of rest we need is physical rest, which can be passive or active.
Passive physical rest includes sleeping and napping, while active physical rest means restorative activities such as yoga, stretching and massage therapy that help improve the body’s circulation and flexibility.
(33:30) The second type of rest is mental rest. Do you know that coworker who starts work every day with a huge cup of coffee? He’s often irritable and forgetful, and he has a difficult time concentrating on his work. When he lies down at night to sleep, he frequently struggles to turn off his brain as conversations from the day fill his thoughts. And despite sleeping seven to eight hours, he wakes up feeling as if he never went to bed. He has a mental rest deficit.
The good news is you don’t have to quit your job or go on vacation to fix this. Schedule short breaks to occur every two hours throughout your workday; these breaks can remind you to slow down. You might also keep a notepad by the bed to jot down any nagging thoughts that would keep you awake.
(37:45) The third type of rest we need is sensory rest. Bright lights, computer screens, background noise and multiple conversations — whether they’re in an office or on Zoom calls — can cause our senses to feel overwhelmed. This can be countered by doing something as simple as closing your eyes for a minute in the middle of the day, as well as by intentionally unplugging from electronics at the end of every day. Intentional moments of sensory deprivation can begin to undo the damage inflicted by the over-stimulating world.
(44:20) The fourth type of rest is creative rest.
This type of rest is especially important for anyone who must solve problems or brainstorm new ideas. Creative rest reawakens the awe and wonder inside each of us. Do you recall the first time you saw the Grand Canyon, the ocean or a waterfall? Allowing yourself to take in the beauty of the outdoors — even if it’s at a local park or in your backyard — provides you with creative rest.
But creative rest isn’t simply about appreciating nature; it also includes enjoying the arts. Turn your workspace into a place of inspiration by displaying images of places you love and works of art that speak to you. You can’t spend 40 hours a week staring at blank or jumbled surroundings and expect to feel passionate about anything, much less come up with innovative ideas.
(48:03) The fifth type of rest is emotional rest.
Now let’s take a look at another individual — the friend whom everyone thinks is the nicest person they’ve ever met. It’s the person everyone depends on, the one you’d call if you needed a favor because even if they don’t want to do it, you know they’ll give you a reluctant “yes” rather than a truthful “no”. But when this person is alone, they feel unappreciated and like others are taking advantage of them.
This person requires emotional rest, which means having the time and space to freely express your feelings and cut back on people pleasing. Emotional rest also requires the courage to be authentic. An emotionally rested person can answer the question “How are you today?” with a truthful “I’m not okay” — and then go on to share some hard things that otherwise go unsaid.
(52:57) The sixth type of rest is social rest.
If you’re in need of emotional rest, you probably have a social rest deficit too. This occurs when we fail to differentiate between those relationships that revive us from those relationships that exhaust us. To experience more social rest, surround yourself with positive and supportive people. Even if your interactions have to occur virtually, you can choose to engage more fully in them by turning on your camera and focusing on who you’re speaking to.
(53:49) The final type of rest is spiritual rest, which is the ability to connect beyond the physical and mental and feel a deep sense of belonging, love, acceptance and purpose.
To receive this, engage in something greater than yourself and add prayer, meditation or community involvement to your daily routine.
As you can see, sleep alone can’t restore us to the point we feel rested. So it’s time for us to begin focusing on getting the right type of rest we need.
(54:35) Ways to Rest:
Determine which areas of rest you are lacking
Weekly Sabbath
Genesis 2:2-3
2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.
3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
Hebrews 4:9-11
9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God;
10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.
11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.
Your sabbath may not look like another’s, but this is how John Mark Comer defines it, in his book “Garden City”, all about Sabbath..
“This language of holy to the Lord is used all through the Scriptures. It can also be translated “dedicated to the Lord.” So the Sabbath is an entire day that is holy, set aside, dedicated to the Lord. It’s a day for rest, and it’s a day for worship. When I Sabbath, I run everything through this grid — is this rest? Is this worship? If the answer to both questions is yes, then I delight in it; if the answer is no, then I hold off until the next day. Because the Sabbath is not the same thing as a day off. Make sure you get the difference. On a day off you don’t work for your employer, but you still work. You grocery shop, go to the bank, mow the lawn, work on the remodel project, chip away at that sci-fi novel you’re writing . . .On the Sabbath, you rest, and you worship. That’s it.”
Ideas to Sabbath:
🔹Go to church
🔹Listen to worship music
🔹Read your Bible
🔹Read a devotional
🔹Spend time in nature - get some sun and earthing!
🔹Take a walk
🔹Journal - write down all that you’re grateful for!
🔹Pray
🔹Practice Kingdom breaths: 5-6 inhales, 5-6 exhales
(104:10) Closing thoughts:
The School of Christian Health and Nutrition Zoom Q&A link
12.4.22 @4pm CST
Luke 10:38-42
(109:05) Outro & Disclaimer
Book Recommendations:
Thanks for listening! Have a healthy and blessed week!