You Don’t Have to Hustle for Healing: Finding God’s Rest in a Burnout Culture - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - October 22, 2025
"He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul" (Psalm 23:2-3, NIV).
Recently, I spoke at a local private school about the masks we tend to wear as Christians. Fitting for Halloween, our masks look less like werewolves and vampires, and more like "I'm fine," "I'm good," and "I'm okay." Instead of telling the truth, we cover our exhaustion with typical clichés. Not only that, but we hustle to feel okay. Our souls can be fixed through productivity, perfectionism, self-improvement, or even crazy amounts of ministry.
The reality is that, as much as we push, pull, and strive, healing emotionally, spiritually, and mentally isn't something we can rush or earn. God isn't keeping track of tally marks in Heaven and awarding gold stars. Why? Because rest is something we receive. It's a gift. It's something we can't earn or force ourselves to achieve, no matter what culture thinks about this.
In a trying season, I memorized Psalm 23. In times of distress and anxiety, I recite the words to myself over and over again. The more I read them, the more one fact stands out: God makes me lie down in green pastures. God is the one who leads me beside quiet waters. God is who restores my soul. Are you picking up on the pattern?
This Psalm reminds me that God makes us lie down because sometimes (and most of the time), we won't choose rest for ourselves. The Lord knows our habits and tendencies. He understands our addictions to being busy, productivity, and trying to earn our worth. And yet, God doesn't ask us to fix ourselves. He invites us to be still long enough to be restored. To let Him in. To allow Him to do what only He can do. Because healing happens in stillness and not striving.
For years, I've struggled to internalize this message. I have my own bad habits and tendencies that tell me I need to hustle for healing. If I read the right verse, pray like them, or work harder, I'll feel whole. But here's the truth: God restores what we can't fix or repair. And authentic restoration comes when we learn to lay it all down. It comes when we surrender and lay down the striving, acknowledging that we can't save or fix ourselves, and that's okay. That's the way Christ created and intended it to be.
If you're struggling to rest in these truths and receive the rest by still waters that Christ offers today, I want to provide three small ways to stop husting for healing:
1. Remove one thing. I know it sounds daunting, but take one thing off your plate. Maybe it's negative self-talk or not allowing yourself to dream. For others, perhaps it's saying "yes" to everything or replacing the scroll with five minutes of silence. No matter what it is, remove one thing that will enable you to be more open to the Lord's stillness.
2. Practice silence. If you're anything like me, this small step is scary. I hate a few things more than total silence. My thoughts get too loud, and I quickly become overwhelmed. But our relationships and conversations with God should be a two-way street. Therefore, we need to allow time and space for Him to speak. Learn to sit in the discomfort of silence. It's good for our souls.
3. Let go of guilt. While giving you this tip, know that doing this isn't easy. It's often not a one-and-done practice. Time and time again, I've had to learn to let go of the guilt I've believed about resting. I've had to lay down the lie that rest is lazy and unproductive. Because the truth is, sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax. Embrace the discomfort, and let God speak.
We're not called to hustle to heal, but to stay with the Shepherd long enough to let Him lead us. Let Psalm 42 be your prayer of stillness today.
Prayer
Dear God, embracing stillness is a world that praises being busy and productive, which is scary and overwhelming. Many "what ifs" fill our minds, and we're petrified of what will happen if and when we stop. But Lord, proper rest is found when we stop striving and instead learn to rest in you alone. Help us receive the peace you offer and teach us to sleep beside your still and quiet waters. We love, praise, and trust you, Jesus. Have you way in each of us and speak to us. Amen.
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/May_Chanikran
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If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
