When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

John 6:5-6 (NIV)

Rest is lost when your passion for ministry is replaced by pressure.

When we find ourselves in such a scenario, it is wise to step away or even step down so that we don't end up despising what we once loved. Most times we suffer from burnout and sacrifice every part of our lives for ministry because we have forgotten that God cares more about growing who we are than growing what we do. When we and God have different priorities, it frustrates us and prevents God from doing what He desires in and through us.

According to the Apostle John, Jesus was putting Philip to the test to see whom he would put his faith in in the face of such a seemingly impossible circumstance. The answer is obvious. Unless God supernaturally increases your capacity to totally trust Him, your ability to move forth in faith is naturally constrained by fear and failure. In Philip's hands, the five loaves and two fish remained intact. However, when they were in Jesus' hands, five thousand men and their families were fed.

Jesus didn't experience the pressure to do the work of His Father that the disciples experienced.

When you don't minister from a place of rest, you're relying more on your own strength and ability than on God’s ability to work in and through you. God wants you to minister from the overflow of your relationship with Him so that you experience real joy and satisfaction.

The miracle of the five loaves and two fish served as an example of rest in action. Rest is living out and believing the truth of your identity and security as a son and daughter of God. We can do what Jesus taught if we would listen and obey. By taking this step of humility, faith will come naturally supernaturally and will free you from any ministry-related stress or anxiety.