A Healthy Heart: When The Great Physician Prescribes Rest

Photo by Redicul Pict on Unsplash

Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit. -- 3 John 1:2

One week after my dear mother departed her broken body and received her eternal reward in heaven, a pain in my chest made me think I might join her sooner than later.

For the better part of five years, I had cared for my aging parents. By the time my mother went home to heaven, I was exhausted—physically, emotionally, and spiritually depleted. During those years, I kept up my regular walking regimen, tried to eat well, but I probably didn’t, and continued in a variety of ministries and writing endeavors.

I thought I was okay, but deep down I knew I wasn’t.

As the pain increased that night, I refused to believe I could be having a heart attack. I knew I would be okay… right? I took some ibuprofen and went to bed.

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:26)

Two days later, the ache in my heart was still there. I humbled myself and asked my husband to take me to urgent care where they immediately hooked me up to electrodes and monitors, drew blood, took x-rays, and set me up with a whole battery of tests.

I was okay… I think.

However, the stress of the past years had caught up with me. Thankfully, there was nothing significantly wrong with my heart.

Except it was broken.

Not the heart pumping blood, but the one that Scripture calls the wellspring of life (Proverbs 4:23). That wellspring had turned into a muddy puddle.

The Lord had already imposed on me the need for true rest, but that little episode solidified the instructions He had given me.

Stop.

Slow down.

Trust Me.

I didn’t call you to do “all things.” I will give you the strength to do the things I have called you to do.

He made it clear through His Word and my circumstances that I needed to view this next season as a gift of a Sabbath—resting as an act of obedience rather than an indulgence.

We must realize that the Sabbath is the Lord’s gift to us. (Exodus 16:29a)

My literal heartache was a wakeup call for my life. We are given one body and one mind for this life we live on earth. I don’t know about you, but I’d like mine to last until I walk through Heaven’s gates.

Our bodies are God’s temple. Caring for them means more than eating well or exercising regularly. It also means tending to the parts no one else can see; our hearts, minds, and souls.

Yes, we need to keep our bodies hydrated. But we need to keep our souls supplied with ample Living Water. We need to eat the right kinds of food but also feed our souls the Bread of Life. We need to breathe deeply of God’s presence, exhale the toxic buildup of this world, and find a rhythm of rest that refreshes both body and soul.

I certainly haven’t mastered this and am still learning to live at the pace God intended. Rest isn’t laziness, and caring for my body isn’t vanity. They are physical and spiritual disciplines that help bring health and healing to our bodies and souls that God has entrusted to us.

After a health scare, I am learning to be a better steward of this “jar of clay” that contains the treasure of my soul (2 Corinthians 4:7) When I choose nourishing food, take a walk, drink more water, or make time to rest, I am not just trying to live longer or look better.

It is an act of gratitude and reverent worship to the One who breathed life into me and sustains me every step of this journey.

The Great Physician cares about more than our physical hearts. He desires that we come to Him for health and healing and that we care well for every part of the gift of life He has given us.

Questions to Ponder:

1. Do you fill the prescription when the Great Physician prescribes rest?

2. Do you need more H2O in your life or more Living Water?

3. Are you eating too many carbs? Try the Bread of Life as a replacement.

4. Before your next annual physical, take a spiritual one. Ask yourself:

• Is my body rested?

• Is my heart guarded?

• Is my mind fixed on Christ?

• Is my soul nourished?

• Am I carrying burdens God never asked me to carry?

• Am I living the world’s pace or the pace of grace?