Rest.
I wonder why so many of us shy away from that word. At least I do. 😉
We go, go, go, and it’s exhausting. But I want to encourage you to make time for a break.
By the time you get this, I will be on vacation with my family at the beach. This time is very much needed for me, in the midst of a busy life, lots of tasks, school, and everything else that’s causing me to go too fast.
Why should we rest though?
God created rest
And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work he had done in creation. (Genesis 2:2-3)
I think there must be something to rest if it appeared in the second chapter of the entire Bible. It’s interesting to note that God is eternal. He has unending strength and power, yet he rested. I think he might have done so to set an example for us, because He didn’t need it.
Humans need rest. There’s a reason that we sleep every night, and will feel terrible if we don’t. Rest is good, healthy, and needed.
Even if we don’t usually take time to rest, I do think it’s a good idea to set aside Sunday as a day of rest. God created the Sabbath, the seventh day, as the day of rest.
Sabbath literally means, “to rest.”
Though we don’t keep the Sabbath like the Israelites did in the Old Testament, I still believe it’s important to set aside Sunday as a day of rest. This is something I’m still working on, but it can be a time to stay off of electronics and not work.
The Sabbath was made for man. God created it for us to rest, because we need it.
Perhaps God created rest to show us that we aren’t capable of everything.
To avoid burnout
If we’re always going and never give our minds or bodies a chance to slow down, we will eventually burn out. It’s so unhealthy and frustrating to be stopped suddenly at a halt, and in the long run, you will have to rest more to recover from it.
So if you regularly set aside time to rest, and don’t drive yourself so hard, it will be so much better for your physical and mental energy.
It can mean having a regular bedtime (which I’m still working on), giving yourself an hour to read, or have a day where you don’t schedule anything.
Exercise self control
For people who just want to keep working, this is for you. It’s okay to take a break. It’s okay to slow down a bit, and not work at such a speed all the time.
Or perhaps rest means for you to consistently not have as many items on your to do list. And if you’re feeling mentally or physically trained, just take a step back.
This is not an excuse to be lazy, though. 😛 While rest very much should be an inherent part of life, work is also just as important.
Focus on what matters
I believe rest should be mindful, not just a time to do whatever we feel like, but only those things which will actually really recharge and benefit us.
In the busyness of life, it’s easy to forget about what really matters. It’s not all about what we can get done.
It’s ultimately about God. He created life, work, and rest. Take the time to slow down and focus on Him, in prayer or through his Word. It’s well worth the time.
You don’t have to do everything
I feel like we want to prove to ourselves that we can do everything. Or we want to impress or be as good as others. We try to measure up, but only God can do it all.
It’s not about it us. You don’t have to prove to yourselves that you can do everything. Focus on God, and serving Him. That’s enough.
I’m reminded of this song by Jonny Diaz, called “Breathe.” It definitely ties into this post well, and it’s such a great reminder of where our focus should lie.
Tell me, what did you think of this post? Why do you think rest is important? Should I do another post with some more practical ways to rest? Let’s chat!Â
