In today’s world we have excess of everything. We have more information than we can handle, more things to do than we can ever get done and very few areas of our life where that excess doesn’t take over. But, in the few areas we don’t have excess, such as finances, time and rest, the inability to balance our excess can be overwhelming if not detrimental to our daily lives.
The concept of rest is often foreign to us as we rush to complete projects and get things done. And being busy is not a bad thing unless it takes over your life. We must have rest. Our bodies were created to rest. The word rest appears 275 times in the KJV Bible. Don’t you think that if the Lord felt it important enough to include that word that many times that maybe it’s important to our daily walks as Christians? While most of us don’t observe the Sabbath as those of the Old Testament, it’s important to find time in our day to rest.
“Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest in your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30, KJV).”
This scripture has always touched my heart because of my drive to always Do. MORE. The constant energy that we feel in our lives that we have to do more, be more, accomplish more. This scripture affirms the Lords desire to spend time with us and also for us to rest in Him. While we often say “I’m busy for the Lord” as an excuse for our hectic schedule, the Lord himself does not expect us to burn out working for Him. Even being busy in the Lords work can contribute to a faster decline in our physical health, not to mention burnout both in ministry and psychological health. Rest is imperative.
Sometimes we need to simply take a step back and examine what is missing in our lives. Often, it is a lack of rest. Rest has five main definitions.
A) the refreshing quiet or repose of sleepB) refreshing ease of activity after exertion or laborC) relief or freedom, especially from anything that wearies, tires or disturbsD) a period or interval of inactivity, repose, solitude, or tranquilityE) mental or spiritual calm; tranquility
Researching this term brought clarity to my life: rest is all of that?Rest is more than a few minutes in the kitchen with a cup of coffee (though that is a start) but it is a conscious period of inactivity.
What does rest look like for you? Is it a time of meditation or prayer? Is it time simply spent relaxing with a good book? Is it a nap or extra sleeping time? Is it simply time spent without a deadline? Whatever rest looks like for you, find time to build more of it into your schedule.
I leave you with this quote: “Why are we hesitant to say no? Why do we feel guilty about making time for ourselves? Maintaining an overwhelming schedule does nothing o nurture our fullest creativity, nor does it foster genuine, intentional or lifegiving relationships. A failure to guard our sleep, one of our most basic and fundamental needs, is the litmus test of whether we really desire to present our true selves to the world. When we take care at such a level, we show that we’re worth something; we’re convinced of our intrinsic value and that those around us benefit when we give our best (Nicole Ziza Bauer, Darling Magazine, Spring 2013).”
p.s. one extra link if you’re interested “How Goofing Off Can Make You More Successful”