June 17, 2025 • 12 mins
In a society that equates worth with productivity, what does it mean to truly rest?
In this soul-stirring episode of Culture Raises Us, host Astor Chambers welcomes speaker and faith leader Marquita Moore for a necessary conversation on reclaiming rest as both a spiritual practice and a radical act. Together, they challenge hustle culture head-on, redefining rest not as a luxury—but as a weapon against burnout, anxiety, and disconnection.
Marquita unpacks the spiritual roots of rest, calling on communities of faith to honor it as a divine rhythm, not a guilty pleasure. From practical shifts in mindset to deeper reflections on identity and inner peace, this episode is both a call to slow down and a guide to doing it with purpose.
Rest isn’t weakness—it’s wisdom. And in the stillness, we remember who we are.
#CultureRaisesUs #MarquitaMoore #RestAsRebellion #FaithAndWellness #SpiritualDiscipline #BurnoutRecovery #AstorChambers
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Marketa Moore for another insightful convo around something I think
we all need, yes, but struggle with, And that's rest.
You know, rest isn't a vibe, it's actually a weapon. Yeah,
and we're in a culture where hustle and burnout are
(00:23):
like these badges of honor. But rest isn't just a
vibe or luxury. It's truly a weapon that we need
to fight all the necessary whether it's spiritual, emotional, and
mental fights. So set the stage on how would you
define rest in the context of today's hustle culture.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Okay, so this might sound a little bit counter whatever,
but rest is rebellion to losing, to step off the treadmill.
It is, you know, rebelling against what the norm says.
You know, you have to prove your worth, you gotta
(01:10):
work so hard. It's rebellion. I'm going against that. It's
permitted to just be. It's not lazy, okay, right right,
not passive, but it is grounded, it is it's tucked
into that higher I always say this, like when I
(01:30):
was reading something and when in my quiet time about
being able to rest right in God right like, and
so I took that in my day to day I'm like,
how am I doing that? Am I doing that?
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Like?
Speaker 2 (01:41):
And how is rest active?
Speaker 1 (01:44):
No?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
It is. So you have to be so intentional to
say I'm gonna put this down. I'm not going to
carry this, I'm not gonna do this. I'm not gonna
interrupt the flow of what could be coming to me
because I'm so busy, so busy and distracted. So I'm
gonna be rebellious and I'm gonna fight by resting and trusting.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
That sounds so like you said, counter intuitive. I'm gonna
I'm gonna know, I'm gonna I'm gonna fight by resting it.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, and knowing that's not lazy. Do you
know how much do you know how easy it is
to do the things that distraction will bring to your
doorst It's so easy to do it. But do you
(02:38):
know how hard it is to rest and put that down?
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Right? Because but even when you do that, Marquita, are
you truly getting rest? Because sometimes these things are still
going through your mind as a well, I should be
going to do this or I should be doing something else,
right in the perception of others, I shouldn't be and
I don't want to. I'm not equating this to naps, right,
(03:04):
but that is a component of notion of rest because
and then you'll get into this whole thing about rest
is more than just you know, taking a nap, right,
But even in that like taking a midday nap, how
do you now quiet the noise of it's okay to
do this and not allow for all the other things
(03:24):
that you think you should be doing at this time.
How do you drain out or mute that noise so
that you can do forget the rest? So first meet.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
It, got it? So first of all, you have to
stop giving in to the thing that's trying to pull you, like,
you have to say no to it, right, Like it's
like a I've never been addicted to drugs or anything,
but it's like breaking that need, not feeding that, right.
(04:02):
So that's the first thing you gotta And you have
to allow yourself to be noisy for a minute because
that can bring you in anxiety and make you want
to get up and not and not do the you know,
not rest. So you have to just quiet it, let
it come, but don't. And it's a visceral feeling, you
(04:24):
know what it you know, trying to sit down and
let's say, pray or have some quiet time, and then
you realize, oh, did I leave the stove on downstairs? Yep?
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Did I go lock lock the door? I got to go.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
You know all these things. But if you keep giving
it to that's a strategy to keep you out of rest.
And if you are given into the are you going
to give into the strategy? Are you going to fight it?
So it gets smaller and smaller and smaller, smaller.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Right, I love that discipline. So how does how does
our cultures obsession with productivity kind of shape our relationship?
Or I really say lacked with rest?
Speaker 2 (05:02):
I think we treat rest like a reward for burnt
out instead of a rhythm we need, instead of something
we need, and we feel guilty for slowing down, like
we're wasting time. But you know that again is a strategy.
But some of my most powerful work happens in stillness.
(05:23):
The majority of it happens in stillness. You get the
witty idea, you know, you get the guidance you can
hear when you rest, you know, And so it's it
is not a reward for all the works you've been doing.
It is a necessity for the work you need to do.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
That part, and it's also not the thing you do
once now you're completely burnt out and can't do anything
else right way.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Right, right, that's all kind of rest that ain't even comfortable.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
No, like, let me get some rest now because I'm
completely done. I'm fried. Yeah, no, uh, that can't be it. Yeah,
So elaborate and unpack rest as the weapon, right because
you say that so eloquently and so well and what
it means in a spiritual sense.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Okay, all right, So again, rest silences the noise you
don't know what you need to be aware of if
you can't hear it footsteps, if you can't see it
coming down the hall, you know what I mean, And
so rest it is. It provides you the ability to
(06:45):
hear clearly, to see when things are coming at you.
You know, and even in the times of like chaos
and confusion and being overworked, you are going to be
counterpar You're not go to be productive if you are
full of anxiety, full of like all these other things.
(07:06):
You gotta rest. Answers come when you just take a
beat and say, hope, up, let me see what's happening,
Let me quiet that thing that's telling me to run
that's telling me to fight, that's telling me to whatever.
And do you know what warrior like stance you have
to take in order to be in rest. You have
(07:28):
to say I have control over all these things that
are going on on the inside of me. It doesn't
have control over me, you know.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
Can you can you share an example of your spiritual
life or the calling shift when you embraced you know,
real rest?
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Okay, So when I fast, right when I go on
a fast, I notice there's a difference. I just actually
went on a fast and I said, I was like God,
the way that I feel now and how clearly I'm
hearing you, and how I'm not being moved by anything
(08:11):
that's happening. Nothing's perfect. I still got a lot of
stuff going on, but I am just chilling inside you, under.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Your wings, regardless of the story, regardless of the storm.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
I'm not being moved. I can hear you. But I
want to be able to strengthen my inner man to
the point where when I'm not fasting, I'm able.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
To tuck in there and in that same space.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Yes, it's me cultivating my intimacy with God. So pulling
away for an hour, praying in the spirit talking to
him about what's going on during the day, like all
of these things that I have to learn to do,
because if not, I am going to be arrested in
the spirit. I gotta see what's coming, not just in
(08:59):
the natural, not just what I see. All the issues
or problems we have in the day to day. But
where do you think those things come from? They don't.
We're just saying the materialize, but they've started way above.
But if I'm not being prayerful, I'm not spending time
because I'm too distracted. I'm watching TV like I'm binge
watching whatever. You know what I mean. It's like that
(09:23):
is what I'm feeding. And I'm not feeding the discipline
of rest of intimacy with God. I'm not chilling. You know,
it's hard to break.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
No I And I think that's a great segue when
you talk about communities of faith and how can those
communities of faith kind of create space and supports as
a spiritual discipline, right, I don't think we've ever positioned
it as this spiritual discipline and not just self care.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Yes, it's bigger than that. And I think by modeling
it and teaching it, building it into the culture, you know,
it's like you said, it's it's not just a personal break,
it's a reset a way of life. You know, we
need spaces where stillness isn't shame, but it's celebrated, you know,
Like we need spaces where I have times. Now let
(10:16):
me tell you I've been God will tell me. I
need you to pull away and just get off the phone, like,
don't talk to people that much. I just need I
need you to be devoted to me for this week,
like spend time with me. And I feel so guilty
(10:36):
about not calling somebody, like it's weighing on me, right,
I cannot rest in that moment. But it's not because
it's in our culture to call somebody back or to
answer it really quickly. But I feel like building it
in to the teachings and showing people modeling it themselves,
(11:01):
Like I feel that's one way to create these spiritual disciplines.
And it's beyond self care you know, bubble bad which
is great, bubble baths and all things, but it's like
care for your soul.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Your soul, yeah no, And that's a great you know,
assistance for people with that shift, right, because I think
it's always associated with self care and to your point,
that's fine, But there's a there's a spiritual discipline and
trust that I also help. I think helps to build
(11:36):
on your faith. Happy because because to step away and
rest and not do all the things that society has
programs you to do it it shows your faith. No,
I'm resting because this is what He's requiring of me
right now, so I can be the best version of myself,
regardless of the fact that the world is pulling me
(11:57):
or telling me I need to be in all these things.
Right now, I'm choosing rest.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Yeah, says spiritual hygiene.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
Well, thank you for dropping the gem on the spiritual
hygiene once again, another great convo and looking forward to
the next me too. I thank you, Thank you, Boom
Marketa Moore for another insightful convo around something I think
we all need, yes, but struggle with, And that's rest.
You know, rest isn't a vibe, it's actually a weapon. Yeah,
and we're in a culture where hustle and burnout are
(00:23):
like these badges of honor. But rest isn't just a
vibe or luxury. It's truly a weapon that we need
to fight all the necessary whether it's spiritual, emotional, and
mental fights. So set the stage on how would you
define rest in the context of today's hustle culture.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Okay, so this might sound a little bit counter whatever,
but rest is rebellion to losing, to step off the treadmill.
It is, you know, rebelling against what the norm says.
You know, you have to prove your worth, you gotta
(01:10):
work so hard. It's rebellion. I'm going against that. It's
permitted to just be. It's not lazy, okay, right right,
not passive, but it is grounded, it is it's tucked
into that higher I always say this, like when I
(01:30):
was reading something and when in my quiet time about
being able to rest right in God right like, and
so I took that in my day to day I'm like,
how am I doing that? Am I doing that?
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Like?
Speaker 2 (01:41):
And how is rest active?
Speaker 1 (01:44):
No?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
It is. So you have to be so intentional to
say I'm gonna put this down. I'm not going to
carry this, I'm not gonna do this. I'm not gonna
interrupt the flow of what could be coming to me
because I'm so busy, so busy and distracted. So I'm
gonna be rebellious and I'm gonna fight by resting and trusting.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
That sounds so like you said, counter intuitive. I'm gonna
I'm gonna know, I'm gonna I'm gonna fight by resting it.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, and knowing that's not lazy. Do you
know how much do you know how easy it is
to do the things that distraction will bring to your
doorst It's so easy to do it. But do you
(02:38):
know how hard it is to rest and put that down?
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Right? Because but even when you do that, Marquita, are
you truly getting rest? Because sometimes these things are still
going through your mind as a well, I should be
going to do this or I should be doing something else,
right in the perception of others, I shouldn't be and
I don't want to. I'm not equating this to naps, right,
(03:04):
but that is a component of notion of rest because
and then you'll get into this whole thing about rest
is more than just you know, taking a nap, right,
But even in that like taking a midday nap, how
do you now quiet the noise of it's okay to
do this and not allow for all the other things
(03:24):
that you think you should be doing at this time.
How do you drain out or mute that noise so
that you can do forget the rest? So first meet.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
It, got it? So first of all, you have to
stop giving in to the thing that's trying to pull you, like,
you have to say no to it, right, Like it's
like a I've never been addicted to drugs or anything,
but it's like breaking that need, not feeding that, right.
(04:02):
So that's the first thing you gotta And you have
to allow yourself to be noisy for a minute because
that can bring you in anxiety and make you want
to get up and not and not do the you know,
not rest. So you have to just quiet it, let
it come, but don't. And it's a visceral feeling, you
(04:24):
know what it you know, trying to sit down and
let's say, pray or have some quiet time, and then
you realize, oh, did I leave the stove on downstairs? Yep?
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Did I go lock lock the door? I got to go.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
You know all these things. But if you keep giving
it to that's a strategy to keep you out of rest.
And if you are given into the are you going
to give into the strategy? Are you going to fight it?
So it gets smaller and smaller and smaller, smaller.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Right, I love that discipline. So how does how does
our cultures obsession with productivity kind of shape our relationship?
Or I really say lacked with rest?
Speaker 2 (05:02):
I think we treat rest like a reward for burnt
out instead of a rhythm we need, instead of something
we need, and we feel guilty for slowing down, like
we're wasting time. But you know that again is a strategy.
But some of my most powerful work happens in stillness.
(05:23):
The majority of it happens in stillness. You get the
witty idea, you know, you get the guidance you can
hear when you rest, you know, And so it's it
is not a reward for all the works you've been doing.
It is a necessity for the work you need to do.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
That part, and it's also not the thing you do
once now you're completely burnt out and can't do anything
else right way.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Right, right, that's all kind of rest that ain't even comfortable.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
No, like, let me get some rest now because I'm
completely done. I'm fried. Yeah, no, uh, that can't be it. Yeah,
So elaborate and unpack rest as the weapon, right because
you say that so eloquently and so well and what
it means in a spiritual sense.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Okay, all right, So again, rest silences the noise you
don't know what you need to be aware of if
you can't hear it footsteps, if you can't see it
coming down the hall, you know what I mean, And
so rest it is. It provides you the ability to
(06:45):
hear clearly, to see when things are coming at you.
You know, and even in the times of like chaos
and confusion and being overworked, you are going to be
counterpar You're not go to be productive if you are
full of anxiety, full of like all these other things.
(07:06):
You gotta rest. Answers come when you just take a
beat and say, hope, up, let me see what's happening,
Let me quiet that thing that's telling me to run
that's telling me to fight, that's telling me to whatever.
And do you know what warrior like stance you have
to take in order to be in rest. You have
(07:28):
to say I have control over all these things that
are going on on the inside of me. It doesn't
have control over me, you know.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
Can you can you share an example of your spiritual
life or the calling shift when you embraced you know,
real rest?
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Okay, So when I fast, right when I go on
a fast, I notice there's a difference. I just actually
went on a fast and I said, I was like God,
the way that I feel now and how clearly I'm
hearing you, and how I'm not being moved by anything
(08:11):
that's happening. Nothing's perfect. I still got a lot of
stuff going on, but I am just chilling inside you, under.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Your wings, regardless of the story, regardless of the storm.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
I'm not being moved. I can hear you. But I
want to be able to strengthen my inner man to
the point where when I'm not fasting, I'm able.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
To tuck in there and in that same space.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Yes, it's me cultivating my intimacy with God. So pulling
away for an hour, praying in the spirit talking to
him about what's going on during the day, like all
of these things that I have to learn to do,
because if not, I am going to be arrested in
the spirit. I gotta see what's coming, not just in
(08:59):
the natural, not just what I see. All the issues
or problems we have in the day to day. But
where do you think those things come from? They don't.
We're just saying the materialize, but they've started way above.
But if I'm not being prayerful, I'm not spending time
because I'm too distracted. I'm watching TV like I'm binge
watching whatever. You know what I mean. It's like that
(09:23):
is what I'm feeding. And I'm not feeding the discipline
of rest of intimacy with God. I'm not chilling. You know,
it's hard to break.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
No I And I think that's a great segue when
you talk about communities of faith and how can those
communities of faith kind of create space and supports as
a spiritual discipline, right, I don't think we've ever positioned
it as this spiritual discipline and not just self care.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Yes, it's bigger than that. And I think by modeling
it and teaching it, building it into the culture, you know,
it's like you said, it's it's not just a personal break,
it's a reset a way of life. You know, we
need spaces where stillness isn't shame, but it's celebrated, you know,
Like we need spaces where I have times. Now let
(10:16):
me tell you I've been God will tell me. I
need you to pull away and just get off the phone, like,
don't talk to people that much. I just need I
need you to be devoted to me for this week,
like spend time with me. And I feel so guilty
(10:36):
about not calling somebody, like it's weighing on me, right,
I cannot rest in that moment. But it's not because
it's in our culture to call somebody back or to
answer it really quickly. But I feel like building it
in to the teachings and showing people modeling it themselves,
(11:01):
Like I feel that's one way to create these spiritual disciplines.
And it's beyond self care you know, bubble bad which
is great, bubble baths and all things, but it's like
care for your soul.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Your soul, yeah no, And that's a great you know,
assistance for people with that shift, right, because I think
it's always associated with self care and to your point,
that's fine, But there's a there's a spiritual discipline and
trust that I also help. I think helps to build
(11:36):
on your faith. Happy because because to step away and
rest and not do all the things that society has
programs you to do it it shows your faith. No,
I'm resting because this is what He's requiring of me
right now, so I can be the best version of myself,
regardless of the fact that the world is pulling me
(11:57):
or telling me I need to be in all these things.
Right now, I'm choosing rest.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Yeah, says spiritual hygiene.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
Well, thank you for dropping the gem on the spiritual
hygiene once again, another great convo and looking forward to
the next me too. I thank you, Thank you, Boom
Host
Astor Chamber
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