When Rest Looks Like Avoidance: A Hard Truth for the Healing Black Women
Let’s have a real moment.
We have glamorized and normalized “hustle culture”. We have chosen to wear exhaustion like a badge of honor. We overwork, overgive, overcommit—and then collapse in the name of “dedication.”
But sis, I’ve got to ask you something hard and holy:
Are you really just tired… or are you avoiding?
The Difference Between Resting and Avoiding
There’s a difference between resting to restore and resting to escape.
Avoidance is sneaky. It looks like staying booked and busy to dodge what’s actually bubbling underneath: grief, trauma, burnout, unmet needs, unprocessed emotions, divine instruction.
We don’t rest because we’re scared of what the stillness might say.
We don’t rest because deep down, we don’t believe we deserve it.
We don’t rest because hustle culture told us that rest is for the weak.
But God says otherwise.
God Called You to Rest—Not Perform
Let me remind you: God rested. Not because He was tired, but because He was finished.
Even Jesus napped in the middle of a storm (Luke 8:23). And here we are, fighting for our lives trying to keep up with curated content and capitalistic timelines.
God isn’t glorified by your burnout.
He’s not impressed by your overworking.
He’s not asking you to earn your rest—He’s already given it to you.
“Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28
Rest is not just physical. It's spiritual warfare. It’s resistance. It’s obedience.
What Are You Actually Avoiding?
Let’s name it, sis.
You might be avoiding:
Sitting with your emotions
Facing an old wound God is calling you to surrender
Listening to what the Holy Spirit’s been whispering
Accepting that productivity doesn’t define your worth
Slowing down enough to feel
If stillness makes you uncomfortable, ask yourself why.
Sometimes the noise is a cover-up.
Sometimes the hustle is a distraction.
Sometimes the “grind” is just fear in disguise.
Choosing Rest is Choosing God
When you choose to rest, you’re saying:
"I trust God enough to pause."
"I believe He will sustain me."
"I know my worth isn’t tied to what I do, but who I am in Him."
That’s Kingdom thinking.
Let the World Hustle—You Heal
Rest isn’t weakness. It’s wisdom.
Rest isn’t falling behind. It’s getting aligned.
Rest isn’t something you do when everything is done. It’s something you do so you can keep going.
This month, I want you to make sacred rest a part of your healing journey. Put it on your calendar. Set the boundary. Take the nap. Go outside. Turn your phone off. Sit in silence. Cry if you need to. Pray. Breathe.
And know that God is still moving even when you’re not.
Final Word: Rest Is Holy. Don’t Avoid It.
Sis, your healing can’t happen if you’re constantly running from rest.
You can’t pour from an empty cup—and you were never meant to be the pitcher in the first place.
God is the source.
You’re the vessel.
Let Him fill you.
Take your hands off everything for a moment.
Rest isn’t punishment. It’s permission.
Reflection Questions:
What have I been avoiding in the name of “being busy”?
How can I practice sacred rest this week?
What does God want to show me in stillness?