Learning to Work, Rest, and Play in Holy Rhythm
Are you exhausted from doing everything right but feeling like something’s still missing? What if the secret to balance isn’t choosing between work and rest—but embodying both? 
In Ecclesiastes 3 we read about, ‘A Time for Everything.’ A time to plant and a time to uproot…build and tear down…weep and laugh…mourn and dance…scatter and gather…search and give up …keep and throw away…tear and mend…speak and be silent…love and hate…war and peace.
And…work then play…labor and then rest.
Throughout scripture we see both laboring and resting, plowing and enjoying: Eat the fruits of your labor (work then eat) (Deut. 15:10, Ecc. 3:13)…build houses then dwell in them (Isa. 61:21), strive to enter His rest (Heb. 4:11). You’ll build house then settle into them, plant gardens and eat what they produce (Jer. 29:5), seek peace and prosperity (v. 7),
Matthew 28-30 The Message: “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. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Our world is loud, but God is not in the chaos. He is in the quiet and speaks with a still small voice. Your to-do list screams for attention while your soul whispers a different invitation: slow down, be still, just rest. You’re caught between the pressure to produce and the desperate need to pause. Between serving others and saving yourself. Between the demands of daily life and the desire for something deeper.
You’re not alone in this tension. In fact, this struggle is as old as Scripture itself.
The Ancient Story We’re Still Living
In Luke 10:38-42, Jesus visits the home of two sisters who handle His presence in completely different ways:
Martha is in the kitchen, working tirelessly. She’s preparing food, arranging details, making sure everything is perfect. She’s the doer, the server, the one who shows love through action. But underneath her productivity, anxiety is building. She’s “worried and upset about many things.”
Mary is at Jesus’ feet, sitting in stillness. She’s receiving, listening, being present. She’s chosen the contemplative path, the restful posture, the receptive heart. And Jesus affirms her choice: “Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
For centuries, we’ve interpreted this story as a binary choice: Be like Mary or be like Martha. Choose rest or choose work. Pick contemplation or pick action. Choose stillness over striving.
But what if that’s not what Jesus is teaching us at all?
The Third Sister: Miriam – A Missing Piece
There’s another woman in Scripture who shows us a dimension we’ve overlooked—Miriam, the sister of Moses. After crossing the Red Sea, after the impossible deliverance, after the exhausting journey through danger, Miriam doesn’t collapse in exhaustion or immediately start planning the next leg of the journey.
She picks up a tambourine and leads the women in dancing (Exodus 15:20-21).
Miriam embodies something both Mary and Martha need: sacred play. The ability to celebrate, to express joy, to move with freedom and delight. She reminds us that balance isn’t just about work and rest—it’s also about remembering to dance, even (and especially) after hard seasons.
The “Just-Right” Living You’re Actually Called To
The truth is, you’re not meant to be only Martha or only Mary. You’re designed to embody both energies / characteristics—and to dance like Miriam when the moment calls for it.
This is sacred balance: the ability to labor with purpose, rest with peace, and play with joy—all in their proper seasons.
Jesus wasn’t condemning Martha’s service. He was inviting her to find balance. To work without anxiety. To serve without resentment. To do without losing her being. However, timing is vital. There is a time to labor but Martha chose working over resting at the feet of Jesus – this is terrible timing Martha.
Right then it was time to set work down, be present and rest with Jesus. I like to call it Practicing Presence. When we are present we are more in tune with the Holy Spirit, allowing us to be present in His Presence.
What Sacred Balance Looks Like in Real Life 
Sacred balance means:
- Working like Martha with passion and purpose, but without burnout or bitterness
- Resting like Mary with presence and peace, but without guilt or shame
- Playing like Miriam with joy and freedom, honoring both grief and celebration
- Knowing when each energy is needed and moving fluidly between them
- Redeeming your time by discerning God’s invitation in each moment
How YogaFaith Embodies This Balance
This is where embodied faith changes everything. You can’t think your way into balance—you have to practice it in your body, mind, and spirit.
YogaFaith provides the framework for this sacred integration:
The Martha Energy (Yang/Active)
-
- Building strength through challenging postures and sequences
- Flowing with purpose and intention
- Engaging muscles mindfully
- Taking action with focus / Only tasks and events that align with God’s purpose for our life
- Serving through movement
The Mary Energy (Yin/Receptive)
-
- Surrendering in restorative poses
- Breathing deeply into stillness
- Releasing tension and control
- Receiving God’s presence
- Being rather than doing
The Miriam Energy (Playful/Celebratory)
-
- Moving with joy and freedom
- Expressing gratitude through dance / movement
- Celebrating victories, breakthroughs and healing
- Honoring both grief and joy
- Remembering the wonder of being alive – keeping your ‘awe’
A Sacred Balance practice intentionally weaves all three together, teaching your nervous system, your mind, and your spirit how to move between these states with grace.
The Biblical Foundation for Balance
Scripture doesn’t just tell us to find balance—it commands it:
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 reminds us there is “a time for everything under the sun”:
- A time to work and a time to rest
- A time to mourn and a time to dance
- A time to embrace and a time to refrain
- A time to tear down and a time to build up
Mark 6:31 Shows Jesus Himself modeling this balance: “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” Even Jesus, in the midst of ministry demands, prioritized rest.
Psalm 46:10 Calls us to stillness: “Be still, and know that I am God.”
Yet Colossians 3:23 also affirms our work: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.”
The invitation isn’t to choose—it’s to discern.
To ask: What is God inviting me into right now? Work, rest, or play?
Take time to answer these.
What Happens When You’re Out of Balance
Most of us live chronically out of balance, stuck in one mode:
Too Much Martha:
- Constant busyness without peace
- Resentment toward others who seem less productive
- Anxiety about performance and outcomes
- Physical exhaustion and burnout
- Inability to simply “be” without doing
Too Much Mary:
- Passivity disguised as spirituality
- Avoiding responsibilities under the guise of “rest”
- Disconnection from your body and its strength
- Guilt for not contributing or serving
- Stagnation and lack of purpose
- Sluggish or laziness
Missing Miriam:
- Heaviness without relief
- Loss of joy and wonder
- Inability to celebrate victories
- Grief without expression
- Seriousness that forgets God’s delight
True sacred balance integrates all three.
-
🎥 Roll out your mat and watch segments of the workshop HERE.
-
Better yet, receive the full class, workshop and 2 hours of continued education by clicking below:
