It seems a little contradictory. You’re not getting anything done when you’re resting, right? You may think things like:
“I have too much work to get 8 hours of sleep.”
“If only there were more hours in a day.”
“They can eat dinner without me.”
“I don’t have time for my hobby.”
We’ve all said one of these at one time or another. It is easy to work ourselves into a place where we are not getting enough rest. Rest has many forms: sleep, vacations, hobbies, naps, etc. When was the last time you took inventory of how much rest you are getting? Rest is important for many reasons. Let’s briefly explore three:
1) Rest is Important to God
God ordained rest when he created the Sabbath. In Genesis 2, on the seventh day of Creation, God rested and created the Sabbath. He commands us to do no work and to keep the Sabbath holy.
By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. Genesis 2:2-3
There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience. Hebrews 4:9-11
2) Rest is Important to your Health
Lack of proper sleep is linked to many increased health risks including obesity, heart attack, and stroke. Attaining the proper balance of work, rest/relaxation, and sleep will help you be more productive and retain more information. Rest and sleep are also a great tool to manage stress and maintain strong mental health. Have you ever worked with that person who never took time off? Don’t let that person be you!
3) Rest is Important to your Relationships
If you are consistently missing meals, bedtime with your family, kids’ activities, date night, time in your hobbies, church, quiet time with God, or time with friends, you are too busy! Slow down. Each of these activities are important. If you don’t invest time in these areas, don’t expect anything positive from them. I understand you can’t do all of them every day, but you must do each of them some of the time.
Now it’s your turn. How many times in a week do you spend time in each of these:
- God – quiet time, church, small group, personal ministry, etc.
- Sleep – overnight, mid-day naps, etc.
- Family – dinner time, bed time, your child’s activities, family night, date night, etc.
- Friends – hanging out, small talk, activities you both enjoy, etc.
- Hobbies – sports, crafts, outdoor activities, collecting, games, etc.
Develop a plan to improve the areas you aren’t allocating any time towards. You will see noticeable impact in all aspects of your life as you become more relaxed and better rested.
