Holy Napping
Deepening and Broadening Our Understanding of Rest
In February, I attended a clergy conference where Rev. Dr. Kirk Byron Jones spoke about something he calls “The Rested Jesus.”
That phrase has been following me around ever since.
Because when we picture Jesus, we usually picture movement.
Healing. Teaching. Walking dusty roads. Turning over tables. Feeding thousands.
Touching the untouchable. Carrying the weight of the world.
We picture activity. We don’t usually picture rest.
But Scripture tells a fuller story.
Matthew 13:1 — Jesus sitting by the sea.
Mark 1:35 — rising early to pray in solitude.
Luke 4:42 — withdrawing to a quiet place.
John 4:6 — sitting, tired, at the well.
Mark 4 — before calming the storm… Jesus is asleep in the boat.
Holy napping.
The wind is howling. The disciples are panicking. The boat is rocking.
And Jesus is sleeping.
That is not weakness. That is trust.
After walking us through these passages, Rev. Dr. Jones said something that stopped me in my tracks:
“God does not need our exhaustion.”
Nope.
God needs our rest.
Not our frantic striving. Not our constant proving. Not our depletion.
God needs our rested presence.
That line hit me hard.
Because exhaustion has become a badge of honor in our culture.
We praise busyness.
We normalize burnout.
We reward overextension.
We say we’re “fine” when we are running on fumes.
But what if exhaustion is not faithfulness?
What if rest is?
When we are exhausted, we are:
Irritable.
Impatient.
Defensive.
Closed off.
Quick to assume the worst.
Easily overwhelmed.
Overly sensitive.
We snap.
We withdraw.
We overthink.
Everything feels heavier than it actually is.
But when we are rested, we are:
Open.
Patient.
Creative.
Lighthearted.
Curious instead of critical.
Present instead of distracted.
Steady instead of reactive.
We listen well.
We laugh easily.
We let small things stay small.
We move through the world with quiet confidence.
Rest does not mean laziness.
Rest means trust.
Rest means believing that the world keeps spinning even when we stop moving.
Rest means remembering that we are human beings, not human doings.
Even Jesus — especially Jesus — withdrew.
He slept through storms. He paused before the next miracle.
Maybe holy napping is not about sleep alone. Maybe it’s about surrender.
About unclenching. About loosening our grip on control and remembering that we are not the Savior of the world. (That job is already taken.)
The psalmist writes:
“Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)
And Jesus says:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
Rest is not escape.
It is invitation.
So here’s a gentle question for you — and for me: Where are you exhausted?
And what would it look like to trust God enough to rest there?
Maybe it’s going to bed 30 minutes earlier.
Maybe it’s turning off the news.
Maybe it’s saying no.
Maybe it’s sitting by the sea — or your back porch — without multitasking.
Maybe it’s allowing yourself to stop proving something.
The storm may still be swirling.
But Jesus is still in the boat.
And sometimes faith looks like closing your eyes.
Holy napping.
Blessing
May you release the myth that exhaustion equals faithfulness.
May you loosen your grip on what is not yours to carry.
May you trust that the One who calms storms also guards your rest.
May your body exhale.
May your mind soften.
May your spirit remember it is held.
And may you discover, again and again,
that holy rest is not weakness —
it is trust.
Reflection Questions
1. Where in your life are you most exhausted right now?
2. How does exhaustion tend to show up in you — irritation, withdrawal, overthinking, something else?
3. What would trusting God look like in that exact place of weariness?
4. What is one small, concrete act of rest you can practice this week?
5. What might change if you stopped believing that exhaustion equals faithfulness?
A Song to Carry With You
“Be Still” – The Fray
A gentle reminder that you don’t have to fix everything tonight. Let the refrain wash over you: sometimes faith looks like quiet trust instead of frantic effort.
Thanks... I needed that! It seems it's always a challenge for me to be still. Yet when I allow myself to just sit back, think about the good things God has done in my life and maybe even sneak in a pray or two I truly do feel refreshed. This post is a great reminder!