21st May - “What If You Did Today Differently?” (Learning to Live From Rest, Not Rush)

This morning, as I opened my eyes and lay quietly in bed, and I heard a gentle whisper in my spirit.

“What if you rest today? What would it look like to do everything from a place of peace instead of pressure?”

Normally, I hit the ground running—emails, meetings, washing, cleaning, people needing things, to-do list piling up. But today, I paused. I thought: What if I actually lived this day differently? What if instead of working from a place of busyness, I let rest lead?

Rest Isn’t Optional—It’s Essential

Jesus showed us how to live this way. He didn’t wait until there were no demands on Him before He rested. In fact, the Bible says He chose to withdrew when there were a lot of demands on him - at the height of His ministry—crowds were gathering, needs were mounting, and momentum was building.

“The news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”(Luke 5:15–16 NIV)

Even when the disciples were flat-out with all the needs of the poeople, Jesus taught that it was more important to be caring for their own hearts. He saw what they needed and called them to stop:

“Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, He said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’”(Mark 6:31 NIV)

Rest wasn’t weakness—it was wisdom. Jesus knew that staying spiritually and emotionally strong required stepping back, slowing down, and reconnecting with the Father.

Rest Isn’t Laziness—It’s Alignment

When we rest with Jesus, we stop striving and start syncing our lives with heaven’s pace. We begin to make decisions from a clear heart and mind, and not from chaos. And we realise that most of what we’re rushing to fix, earn or do, can actually wait—or better yet, be done with Jesus

“Simply join your life with mine. Learn my ways and you’ll discover that I’m gentle, humble, easy to please. You will find refreshment and rest in me.”(Matthew 11:29–30 TPT)

When you live from rest, not rush, everything flows differently. Your conversations soften. Your perspective widens. And your day feels more like partnership than pressure.

Try This Today:

Don’t race through the day. Pause. Ask Jesus, “What would it look like to do this day with You, from a place of rest?” Let Him lead. Let peace pace your steps.

Prayer:

Jesus, please help me live differently today. Show me how to slow down, breathe deeply, and walk with You—not ahead of You. Help me let go of pressure and choose rest as the starting point for everything I do. In Jesus' name Amen.