“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. [Jer. 6:16.] For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good–not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.” – Matthew 11:28-30 AMPC

The main ingredient to a healthy, peaceful, restful lifestyle is developing, growing, and maintaining a healthy relationship with God through Christ. Distractions, whether cultural, emotional, physical, financial, relational, or social, rob focus from our main purpose in life. Relationship with God.

I am seeing in these days of my life, and especially in the past few days, how situations and circumstances we face are not so much challenges to overcome, but more invitations to draw nearer still to God. When I choose relationship with God, leaning into all I know of Him, trusting Him, and seeking deeper experience of Him, I discover the greater depths of relating to Him that He is after. It is then that I find all I need to overcome the challenge, most often seeing Him deal with the issues of life in miraculous ways that amaze. In those experiences, God works in and through me to accomplish His purpose in life; and especially in my life, as knowledge of Him inspires new life in me, making me into all He planned me to be.

When I maintain this focus, my emotions stabilize quicker, enabling me to enter/remain in His rest, preventing me giving myself to the bad habits of my flesh in turmoil. I find my load lifted, council for the path, and hope for the outcome. However long the challenge remains, God is faithful to walk with me as I draw nearer still to Him.