David said, ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul’ (vv. 1-3 NKJV). Today car engines are computerised. A light on your dashboard will let you know something’s wrong and that it’s time for a check-up. Your soul will do that too. But you’ve got to pay attention to the signals! Don’t wait until you have a spiritual, moral, emotional or relational breakdown before you stop and pay attention. When your soul’s thirst is not quenched and its needs are not met, it will seek relief some other way, often a way that will hurt you. You must know when to say ‘when’.

Most of us don’t take breaks that enable us to ‘restore our souls’. We’re ensnared by guilt, as if stopping would somehow be irresponsible. Or we fear losing ground because we took a minute for ourselves. One of the hardest things in life to achieve is not success, but a sense of balance. So in all your goal-setting and ‘go-getting’, don’t forget your soul. Even God rested (see Genesis 2:2). And if He did, then you need to also.

The power of rest is that it allows you to enjoy the journey of life and not just the destination. Indeed, if you don’t learn to walk in the park by choice, you may end up in the hospital by necessity. When God ‘makes you lie down in green pastures’, enjoy them. When He ‘leads you beside the still waters’, it’s to refresh and restore you. So practise soul care!