John Stanko

"Return to your rest, my soul,
    for the Lord has been good to you" - Psalm 116:7.

This is an interesting verse where rest is concerned. The psalmist was previously at rest but had lost it somehow. He began to employ self talk, convincing himself that it was better to return to his rest than stay in his turmoil or anxiety. The writer had to come up with some convincing reason to rest and he decided to reflect on and remember God's goodness toward him. The implication is that he should enjoy God's blessings and remember, if things were currently not good, that God will and can restore his fortunes as before. Therefore, he made the decision to rest (indicating that rest is a decision). Leaders should reflect on this verse and strive to use the past to give them comfort in the present and hope for the future whenever circumstances get tough and try to rob them of their joy and rest.

LEADERSHIP STEP: Your Step today is to use your self talk to help you find rest. Is your mind racing, causing you to worry or fret about the future, thus robbing you of the present? Then develop a strategy to combat your worry. If it were someone else fretting, what would you tell them? That's exactly what you should tell yourself - and keep on thinking it until you find peace. The best answer to worry seems is thinking about what God has done for you in the past.