Sheila Wise Rowe is an author, spiritual director and speaker. She is passionate about matters of faith and emotional healing, and advocates for the dignity, rights and healing of abuse and racial trauma survivors. She has also counseled established and emerging leaders and taught counseling in Massachusetts and Paris, France, and for a decade ministered to unhoused and abused women and children in Johannesburg, South Africa. Sheila is the author of “Healing Leadership Trauma” (along with her husband, Nicholas Rowe), “Healing Racial Trauma,” “Young, Gifted, and Black: A Journey of Lament and Celebration” and an upcoming book, “Seeds of Racial Healing: 52 Devotions for Navigating Through Trauma.
Why is rest so central to the gospel, especially in a culture that seems to prize constant productivity?
Rest is a gift from God meant to counteract the relentless pressures — the “pharaohs” — of our age that push us into constant striving and overdrive. Our culture tends to normalize stress and equate value with output, but the gospel invites us into a different rhythm. Rest is not just about retreating from work or noise; it’s a spiritual practice woven deeply into Scripture. It’s about pausing intentionally to listen to God, examine the state of our hearts, and assess our relationships with God, ourselves and others. When we embrace rest as a spiritual discipline, we resist the world’s demands and find renewal, healing and freedom in God’s design for our lives.
How can we recognize when we’re in a state of emotional or spiritual overdrive?
I encourage people to ask two questions when they sense unrest or overwhelm: “What is actually happening?” and “Why is this happening?” These questions help us move beyond our immediate reactions, which often stem from early wounds or present hurts. Sometimes, we avoid looking honestly at what’s troubling us, because denial feels safer. But that only deepens the cycle of stress. Bringing these questions into prayer and trusted conversation with others helps us see more clearly and discover what we need to address for healing. Without this intentional pause, we risk normalizing burnout and losing sight of God’s restorative work.
Many Christians wrestle with balancing passion for God’s work and the risk of burnout. How do you suggest we hold those tensions?
I understand that tension well. We often admire stories of radical, blazing passion — like missionaries who poured everything out and died young — and sometimes that creates an expectation that faithfulness looks like burning out in a blaze of glory. Jesus offers a different model. He said, “I only do what the Father is doing.”
Our calling is to cultivate a moment-by-moment relationship with God, listening and responding to what he is doing right now, rather than pushing ahead in our own strength or imagination. This rhythm helps us stay engaged and faithful over the long haul without succumbing to exhaustion. Faithful discipleship is often about steady, sustainable obedience rather than nonstop intensity.
How does rest extend beyond the personal to a communal practice, especially in light of the Sabbath commandment?
Rest is deeply communal. The Sabbath wasn’t just about individual pause — it was a command to give rest to servants, animals and the entire community. Yet, we live in a culture that tends to frame rest as a personal goal — “How do I flourish?” But loving God means loving our neighbors, which includes creating spaces where others can also rest and flourish. Our lives are more interconnected than ever, and the peace we long for is tied to what happens to others around us — in our neighborhoods and across the globe. Rest becomes an act of justice and care, a shared rhythm of flourishing for all, not just ourselves.
As we seek healing and restoration, how can we ensure that we’re aligning with God’s will rather than the patterns of this world?
Romans 12:2 challenges us not to conform to the patterns of this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. I invite us all to ask: Are we embodying Christ’s way or buying into worldly patterns of power, acquisition and relentless striving? God’s will is good, pleasing and perfect, but living into that requires ongoing self-examination and renewal. Thankfully, God is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love — he patiently waits for us to return to him, to rest and to be restored. Embracing this transformation is the pathway to true healing and flourishing.
Hear more from Sheila Wise Rowe on rest and resisting the pace of pharaoh ![Arrow]()
Sheila Wise Rowe is an author, spiritual director and speaker. She is passionate about matters of faith and emotional healing, and advocates for the dignity, rights and healing of abuse and racial trauma survivors. She has also counseled established and emerging leaders and, taught counseling in Massachusetts, and Paris, France, and for a decade ministered to unhoused and abused women and children in Johannesburg, South Africa. Wise Rowe is the author of “Healing Leadership Trauma” (along with her husband, Nicholas Rowe), “Healing Racial Trauma”, “Young, Gifted, and Black: A Journey of Lament and Celebration” and “Seeds of Racial Healing: 52 Devotions for Navigating Through Trauma.”
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