“NO!”

“No no no no no no no!”

I gazed in horror at the black screen on my computer.

“Don’t turn off! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

I flung the laptop to the side and scrambled for the power cord.

“I know you warned me—twice. And I meant to plug you in, I really did. But then I forgot. Pleeeeeease don’t lose everything I just wrote!”

How many times has a similar scenario played itself out in your home? First you get the tone. Then the gentle warning: Low battery. Recharge soon.

If you’re like me, you ignore both, knowing you’ll receive another warning—one that means it—in a few minutes.

When the second warning signals Dangerously low battery. Recharge immediately, I jump up, hunt for the power cord, and recharge.

Unless I’m pushed for time. And working frantically to complete a thought, a paragraph, or an email. Then I see the warning as just another interruption trying to hinder my progress.

Until the screen goes dark and everything I’ve worked so hard on vanishes into a Windows Black Hole.

Sadly, my life often parallels my computer practices. I’m chugging along on a project, and lunch time comes, or five o’clock, or bedtime, or a church night, the weekend, Sunday, or vacation.

I bump up against one of the boundaries I’ve placed around my work, and I have a choice to make: ignore it or recharge.

Maybe I need a physical recharge. I need to eat, exercise, or sleep. Or maybe a relational one. I need to have lunch with a friend or go on a date with my husband. Or perhaps I need a spiritual recharge. God is calling me to connect with His people, visit His house, or spend time in His Word.

Yet sometimes I don’t stop.

I can continue to function outside the boundaries God has given me—for a while—but eventually, I will crash. And everything I’ve worked so hard for will crash with me.

My health will suffer if I don’t take care of my body. My mind (the powerhouse of my creativity) will grow dull. My relationships will grow distant. And my soul—the part of me that houses God—will languish like a weary traveler on a desert road.

If you’re struggling and need to recharge, take heart. As long as battery life remains, you have hope. And if you’re totally dead? Be encouraged. God can even raise the dead.

If we come to Him, Jesus promised, we will find “rest for our souls.”

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.

Matthew 11:28-29

A rested soul can have a thousand demands on their life, but their heart is at peace. They understand the difference between their responsibility and God’s and never try to do His job. They work hard, then stop, knowing that while they’re resting, recreating, and relationship building, God will continue to work behind the scenes, multiplying their efforts and accomplishing things they never could do on their own.

I wish our bodies, minds, and souls had unmistakable tones and messages to alert us when they’re becoming depleted. Thankfully, God has given us principles in His Word to help us build healthy boundaries into our lives. If we follow them carefully, we realize that the call to rest isn’t meant to hinder our progress, but to enable it. God’s instructions allow us to recharge when necessary and point us to the Source of perfect rest.

Now it’s your turn. Do you struggle to rest, either physically or spiritually? Why? What do you do to address this? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.