During a Bethel Q&A session not too long ago, someone asked the panel of musicians “How do you keep life balanced with all the numerous demands on your time? What advice can you give to someone who has trouble balancing it all?” And one of them replied, “Learn to work FROM rest, instead of FOR rest.”
I thought that was a great insight, and something we as a culture do not always do well. Many Americans are known for being workaholics, and we celebrate “TGIF” and relate to songs like, “Working For the Weekend.” (Sorry in advance for that earworm, and visions of Chris Farley going through your head if you’re a 90’s SNL fan!) There are so many days I rush through the work of my day, and then I just want the day to be over so I can crawl into bed. I will run myself ragged Monday-Friday and then take a significant nap on Saturday and Sunday. When I was a teacher, we would work so hard from September-May and then when summer hit we would have a couple months to “recover”. How exhausting! That sounds a lot like “working FOR rest.” So, what does the opposite look like, then?
First, I am learning my best rest does not come from laying in bed; in fact, sometimes I miss out on true rest by sleeping the day away, only to awaken groggy and regretful of missing precious time with my family and friends. Spending time within the presence of God will recharge you like no nap time ever could! Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-29, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” We think it’s our bodies that are tired (and many times, YES, yes they are!) but if our souls are strong and rested, our bodies can withstand much pain and discomfort.
I am also trying to take to heart that everyday life is not a hard, ragged sprint that we’re just hoping will be over soon so we can breathe for a while, but rather a hike through the woods with twists and turns, hills and valleys, and moments of splendor and beauty all around that I risk missing if I keep my head down and trudge through without a second glance. So what does that look like in my life? Here are a few things I’m planning on incorporating into my life to show me how to work FROM rest:
- Plan intentional moments in my day to get up from my desk and go spend time with the Lord, to return to my source of life and rest.
- Get planned, consistent rest during bedtime, and whenever I am tempted to nap during non-sleep times, examine my motivation; does my body really need sleep, or am I need of a soul-recharge from God?
- Eating more foods that truly nourish my body, and make my food work for me as fuel to give me the energy I need to sustain my body throughout the day.
God, help us learn how to find our rest in You, and from the overflow of rest in our lives begin to work, live and play more productively. Help us to rest many times during the day with You, so we aren’t constantly working from a rest-deficit. Thank You for being all the rest we truly need!