What an Olympian Can Teach Us About Finding Rest in Jesus

Published: July 4, 2024

What an Olympian Can Teach Us About Finding Rest in Jesus

By Movieguide® Contributor

Actress Priscilla Shirer believes in the courage of choosing to pause and rest when needed, taking a cue from Olympic gymnast Simone Biles.

On TBN, the actress spoke about how the world today wants us to work ourselves too hard.

“The entire culture surrounding us…is hustle, grind, keep going, all the way to the end. The end of yourself, the end of your physical health, the end of your family,” Shirer explained. “People are frayed in every way, but they feel like around them there’s this constant pressure to keep going, and what you’re describing is having the courage to pause for a second, take a deep breath, ask the Lord about the season he has you in right now and then trust that this is not a fruitless season even though it might feel or seem less outwardly productive, that the Lord is using this as groundwork for what’s coming next.”

Shirer said this in response to an analogy Anthony Evans shared about Biles.

“The Olympics 2020, Simone Biles, the champion of the universe…the expectation on her was huge,” Evans explained. “And she went up to do this vault and landed crazy, and everybody thought, ‘What is happening to this champion?’ Her mind was not right, and she had to admit…’If I keep going for y’all, I’m going to injure myself in a way that I might not be able to recover from because I’m trying to perform for y’all.’”

That day, Biles chose to drop out of the Olympic competition to protect herself and her team. In a statement, she said, “It’s basically life or death. It’s a miracle I landed on my feet. If that was any other person, they would have gone out on a stretcher. As soon as I landed that vault, I went and told my coach: ‘I cannot continue.’”

In the same way Biles humbly and bravely made that decision, people also need to learn when to step back and choose to stop and rest to protect themselves. Whether it’s about work, ministry or just everyday life, it’s okay to rest. In fact, the Bible encourages it.

In Matthew 11:28, Jesus says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” If you’re feeling weary today, know that you too can find rest in Christ.

Movieguide® previously reported on HGTV star Jenny Marrs’ perspective on rest:

FIXER TO FABULOUS star Jenny Marrs shared a snippet from her upcoming book “House + Love = Home” to encourage readers to find rest in God during overwhelming seasons.

“No matter the season, I’ve learned the importance of carving out spaces in our home specifically for rest. For me, those spaces are the comfy chair where I can read next to the roaring fire in the winter or the porch swing where I can lean against oversized pillows and listen to the birds sing in springtime,” an excerpt of Marrs’ book reads. “I don’t need to overhaul my home to create a cozy little spot, I simply need to light a candle, pour myself a steaming mug of coffee, and exhale.”

The author goes on to share from her book that another takeaway is to remember to rest in God’s sovereignty.

“Most important, I need to give myself permission to be present and remember that the world will keep on spinning if I check myself out of the race for an hour.God doesn’t need me to hold the world on my shoulders. He’s got this. I can rest,” she wrote.