For the girl who is afraid everything will fall apart if she rests…

Your action and identity are not intertwined the way the world has told you they are. You can’t hustle your way to worthiness.

Carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders doesn’t solve everyone’s problems… But it does create problems for you. 

Your high ambition and performance are incredible, yes! And when you hide yourself behind your results and constant doing, you crush your ability to connect with others by just being. 

All of a sudden, your action is your identity instead of your existence. 

But depending solely on yourself for safety and results, you also create separation between you and God. 

There are 3 Lessons from my sabbatical, while pondering productivity and power in rest, I want to share with you:

Being With God is Better than Getting What You Think You Want

In Exodus 33: 14-17 Moses essentially says to God “Listen, if you’re not going to the promised land, I’m not going to the promised land”. Moses makes it a point that he cares more about being with the Lord, and what the Lord can do for him. I think we have that same invitation that Moses was stepping into with God. Sometimes it is so easy to DO things for God, run after what He has called you to, get lost in building what He asks, or even build on His behalf that we disregard the most important part of all of it: being with God. The “promised land” you’re seeking wouldn’t be worth it without God. Don’t lose Him along the way. 

Your Burn Out Cycle is on YOU, Not God

If you have built a business, career, or life dependent on your hustle, burnout is inevitable. Yep – it’s the cold, hard truth in it all. You can take space to rest now, reflect, and start making changes OR you can run until you run out. Either way – you weren’t created for a lifetime of hustle. Here’s the thing I have wrestled with: when trying to avoid burnout, you might have this urge to burn it all down and start again. That’s still not the answer. As you become the leader God has created you to be, you will need to learn to rest instead of quit. You’ll have to prevent burnout instead of sprinting into it over and over again. The reality of building your business is this: You’ll have plenty of resources in some seasons, and you will be low on supplies in others. It is similar to seasons of building your faith – you will hear God clearly in some moments, and feel lost or distant from Him in others. No matter the circumstance, don’t throw yourself or your call into the fire. You are too wise to repeat that lesson again and again – remember you have everything you need in God, despite what your circumstances may say.

It’s Not All Up to You… God Moves While You Rest

This one is key for you to walk in freedom. It might hit hard, but chew on it a little until you can truly taste the sweetness in these words: You’re not that important. If you rest, I promise life will go on. The saying “If the devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy” is true. The story you are believing about everything depending on you and your hustle is beautiful because it shows your personal responsibility and understanding of your power in Christ. A mustard seed of your faith can move mountains!! That’s huge. Annnnnd I truly believe God can use your rest, and the faith it takes for you to create space to trust Him, to move mountains in the same way. You aren’t the savior of the world – thank God!! So yes, embrace that gift of responsibility while harnessing the power of compassion for yourself as you trust God is moving while you move and while you rest. 

You have a unique call on your life, my friend. This is a narrow path as a woman trailblazing in leadership. It’s okay if it’s hard sometimes – but hustling isn’t your identity. 

Learn to walk with peace and productivity. If not for yourself, do it for the women and daughters who follow you. 

Rest IS productive. Embrace it. Add it to your toolbox. Trust that God has a plan bigger than yours… And keep going. 🤍