Runners are a funny breed. Or at least some of us are. There's something in us that keeps us pushing... plodding along when we'd rather be at home... lifting the pace when we'd rather just throw in the towel... reaching deep within ourselves when we'd much rather forget about the whole thing and eat a pizza or something. And sometimes that's a good thing. Sometimes running is just plain old work. Sometimes you need to just push through those difficult runs.

But sometimes... sometimes it's not such a good thing. Sometimes instead of pushing, we need to simply rest.

I've read a lot lately about rest. Fitness, it seems, doesn't happen so much in the run as it does in the rest and the recovery. Running stresses. Running breaks things down. Running pushes our muscles, stresses our system... maxes our bodies to the point of breaking. Rest allows our bodies to repair the damage. And even more: repair the damage in such a way that we are ready for even more than before. Our bodies adapt through the recovery phase. Sometimes we need to just rest.

I find myself doing the same thing spiritually. I strive and I struggle, and I make great gains. I feel good about myself--my relationship with God. But then there comes a dry time. Those gains aren't so great. Sometimes it seems as if I'm going backwards--loosing ground. So what do I do? Try harder. Keep pushing. Fight through it. And sometimes that's what I need to do. But other times... other times I just need to rest.

Sometimes I think those dry times come to remind me that it's not my striving that matters. It's not the "great gains" I make spiritually that count. What matters... what counts is am I resting in God?

Jesus says, "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me--watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace" (Matthew 11.28-29, The Message).

Sometimes I need to quit forcing and simply rest.