Winning the Descent

On day four, we are given permission to do nothing. It is extremely important to create space to take some time and recalibrate. Find out why rest is necessary to fully recover. After you've just leveraged all the faith you had in God, it is not the time to make a big life decision. Today, Louie Giglio explains why.

Summary

Celebrate Rest.

Instead of jumping right into the next big thing, it is imperative to embrace a time of doing nothing. Isaiah 30:15 says,

"This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it."

God was telling His people to rest, and they were refusing. It was to their detriment. God calls us to rest. There is a time for everything, a time to work, and also to sit back for a bit.

Celebrate rest. Create space and give everyone grace. Do absolutely nothing so you can rest and recoup emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually. One comp won’t cut it. No, this takes time. The time needed is directly correlated to the size of the summit.

Delay Big Decisions.

After you work so hard and complete something massive, you are not in the position to take on a massive life change. So, if you can, delay big life decisions. Let the rest happen, let the recalibration happen, let your heart refill to full, let your emotions balance, let your spirit recover, and then, when you have clarity, you can ask God what the next step is.

You will eventually be in the position of a clear and sober mind, with a healthy perspective and Godly counsel that will help you navigate the waters of a big life decision, but you have to give time for the dust to settle and the smoke to clear so that you can see clearly and understand fully all that is involved with that decision.

Psalm 37:7 says to be still before the Lord and wait patiently on Him. By doing this, you are giving room for recovery.

Remember, rest is a gift from God that gives us the ability to recoup physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

1. Read Isaiah 30:15. What is God commanding? Why? What was the response of His people?

2. Have you ever taken time to recover? Do you find it hard not to fill your time? Is it hard to give yourself permission to celebrate rest?

3. What do you consider a big life decision? Have you ever made any of them on the backside of a mountain? Why do we need to be cautious about this?

4. What is the instruction found in Psalm 37:7? How does this offer breathing room for everything to settle before you make a big life-altering decision?