Rhythms of Life, Rhythm of Rest
by Chel Garrison
Whether you recognize it or not, your life has a rhythm. Perhaps it’s the predictable alarm clock on a Monday morning, the mid-week practices for your kids, or the sigh of Friday evenings, all of our lives pulse to a rhythm. But here’s the big question: Is that rhythm in step with God—or are we just marching to the noise of the world?
The truth is, most of us live with full calendars and exhausted souls. We’re hustling hard and resting poorly. Chasing after dreams, goals, and expectations that we think matter. We check off tasks while quietly checking out from the things that bring real joy and spiritual depth. God didn’t design us to function that way. He created us to be fully present in our lives and to know His presence fully.
In Genesis, even before there was sin, there were rhythms. God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh, not because He was tired, but because He was establishing a pattern. “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so, on the seventh day he rested from all his work” (Genesis 2:2). This wasn’t a one-time pause. It was the first invitation to a rhythm of life that includes rest as worship.
Why Rhythms Matter
Our bodies were created to flourish within rhythms—cycles of work, rest, celebration, and stillness. It’s in the rhythm of life that we find sustainability. We weren’t created to absorb news cycles, entertainment, and stress at the levels current culture bombards us with. When you develop rhythms for your life that align with God’s plan, you begin to experience abundance instead of burnout.
Jesus modeled this for us. He moved with purpose, Whether you recognize it or not, your life has a rhythm. Perhaps it’s the predictable alarm clock on a Monday morning, the mid-week practices for your kids, or the sigh of Friday evenings, all of our lives pulse to a rhythm. But here’s the big question: Is that rhythm in step with God—or are we just marching to the noise of the world?
The truth is, most of us live with full calendars but exhausted souls. We’re hustling hard but resting poorly. Chasing after dreams, goals, and expectations, we think matter. We check off tasks while quietly checking out from the things that bring real joy and spiritual depth. God didn’t design us to function that way. He created us to be fully present in our lives and to know His presence fully.
In Genesis, even before there was sin, there were rhythms. God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh, not because He was tired, but because He was establishing a pattern. “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so, on the seventh day he rested from all his work” (Genesis 2:2). This wasn’t a one-time pause. It was the first invitation to a rhythm of life that includes rest as worship.
If Jesus knew He needed that close connection to the Father, how much more do we?
A Rhythm of Life
Developing life rhythms starts with anchoring our days to what matters most, not what culture tells us is most important. Here are a few steps to consider:
Begin With God.
Not in theory—in action. Whether it’s fifteen minutes in Proverbs before the kids wake up, or listening to scripture on your morning run, or a prayer closet meeting before your workday begins, Psalm 143:8 says, “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.” Morning rhythms shape our days.Create Time Blocks for Your Priorities.
Instead of allowing chaos to control your days, steward your time. Block off chunks of your day for what matters: work, family, health, friendships, and yes—margin. A life without margin eventually crashes. Rhythms are about alignment. A great question to ask yourself before adding it to your life: “Does this help create the life I know God wants me to be living?”Say “No” Like It’s Holy…
… because it is. Every “no” to hustle culture is a “yes” to God’s pace for your life. Jesus knew when to say yes and when to wait. He didn’t go everywhere. He didn’t help every need around Him. He stayed in step with the Father’s will. Over-functioning seems noble, and yet it is a trap of the enemy. It creates a belief that we are the ones who can fix it all and diminishes our dependence on God.Develop a Rhythm of Rest
Rest is more than sleep. It is part of your spiritual formation. It reminds you that you are not in control and that you can trust God as the one who controls your life, business, and health. Taking time to stop and rest reminds us that everything we have comes from our Father.
If you’ve never had rhythms, I know it can be overwhelming to even start. So here are a few suggestions to try this week:
Unplug to Reconnect.
Designate time daily when you silence notifications and you're fully present with God. Also make time to do the same with your human relationships. Rest and relationships need space to breathe without an agenda, just your uninterrupted presence.
Start with Simple and Repeatable Habits.
If you don’t have a rhythm of fasting, praying, or rest, you will need to build muscles in these habits. Much like a marathon runner, you cannot run 26.2 miles on day one. They often start training with a 10-minute run. Your habits will be the same. Start small and grow a sustainable habit.
See the Sabbath as a Gift, not a Burden.
The Sabbath was given, not to burden us, but to bless us. “Then Jesus said to them, The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27).
When we align our lives with simple, holy rhythms, we begin to see God’s hand more clearly. We make room to hear His whisper. We live more intentionally. We love more fully with less rushing. We become people known for their peaceful presence, not just productivity.
And maybe that’s the point. You weren’t created to just “get through your days.” You were made to walk with God in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8)—not run from Him in the chaos of the calendar. So, take a deep breath, friends. God’s “yoke is easy, and His burden is light” (Matt. 11:28-30). He wants you to have His rhythm of life and rest.
