In 2009, a student at Clemson University accomplished a rare feat. After his freshman season on the Tigers’ baseball team—when he earned recognition as one of the top players in the country—he went on to set numerous records as the quarterback of the school’s football team. Some journalists called him a “freak.” His fellow students called him a “workout warrior.”

But as this student would later admit, he was far from superhuman. The demand of playing two collegiate sports quickly took its toll. He wore down. He struggled to devote his full energy to either team. And he needed a break. But the life of a two-sport athlete rarely left room for rest.

While I don’t know what it’s like to play a college sport (or two, for that matter), I do know what it’s like to feel worn out, overcommitted and in need of rest.

Sometimes, I struggle to balance responsibilities at work with responsibilities at home. Pulled in two different directions, I wear down. Sometimes, around the holidays, I have a tough time deciding which family I should visit: my family, or my wife’s family. Like the student from Clemson, I struggle to give my energy to everyone and everything. I feel defenseless against the steady flow of responsibilities.

Can you relate?

If you feel tired, worn out and in need of a break today, I encourage you to open your Bible and meditate on promises of peace, rest and reassurance. These three Bible verses will get you started:

1. The Lord gives rest.
   Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. - Matthew 11:28 (GNTD)
2. The Lord provides peace.
   Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid. - John 14:27 (GNTD)
3. The Lord offers hope.
   May God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace by means of your faith in him, so that your hope will continue to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit. – Romans 15:13 (GNTD)