There's no shame in needing rest. We are good stewards of our time, body, and resources to rest when necessary.
Growing up, my parents were small business owners. My father owned two businesses and did his best to ensure they were successful. The consistent business hours needed to make ends meet sometimes meant little time to rest. It was rare we took a vacation or even a few days off. When I was young, rest meant sleeping in or taking the weekend to do something fun. Now, I've learned rest is essential to maintaining physical, emotional, and mental health. Because I wear multiple hats in the writing world, it takes me a while to unwind and allocate the proper time to rest.
Jesus rested. He took time in the morning to pray and talk to his Father. Jesus sometimes escaped to the other side of town to find respite from healing the sick and driving out demons. Jesus ministered out of rest; rest was a part of his identity. To become more like Jesus, we must also work and minister out of rest. But first, we need to understand better what rest truly is.
Conduct a life rest assessment. We need to rest in seven areas: physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, sensory, social, and creative. A deficiency in any one of these types of rest can have unfavorable effects on our health, happiness, relationships, creativity, and productivity. 1
Physical Health
The first area I assessed was my physical body. Although I am pretty good at observing the Sabbath, there are weeks when I switch my day off or take half a day because of my workload. If we constantly think about what we must do while resting, our bodies will indicate that we need more physical rest. When this happens, I normally treat myself to sleeping in, or a massage. These things allow me to relax my physical body. When we eat a healthy, colorful diet, drink plenty of water, and take vitamins, our bodies have all the vital nutrients. Regular exercise keeps our bodies in shape and boosts energy levels. Although this is hard to accomplish at times, it's worth prioritizing our physical health to do the work God has called us to do effectively.
Mental Health
The second area I analyze is my mental health. People who suffer from anxiety, such as myself, must prioritize how to say no. Even for those without anxiety, learning to prioritize tasks is important to mental health. When I feel overwhelmed, I focus on what needs to be done and cut out the rest. By placing proper boundaries and priorities in our lives, we can lessen tension and anxiety and alleviate that overwhelmed feeling. Although I struggle with anxiety, a clear mind lessons feelings of being overwhelmed with everything I have to do.
Spiritual Health
The third area I assess is spiritual health. Typically, I spend a lot of quality time alone reading the Bible and praying. I also take time to be quiet and listen for God's voice in my life. Though I try, I don't always get this done every day. When we neglect time with the Lord, our days aren't as peaceful and productive. Quiet time with God is scheduled alongside exercise and other essential habits to safeguard my health. Since I am a morning person, that time is best for me to focus on the things most important to me. I want to dedicate my time and my priorities to things that matter. Spending time with God is a priority for me. When we place work above prayer, our spiritual lives suffer. We can recalibrate my spiritual health by making time with God a priority.
Emotional Health
Fourth, I analyze my emotional health. As I struggle with negative emotions such as anger and sadness, come on, these emotions, when going unchecked, wreak havoc on my physical, spiritual, and mental state. Additionally, if I have unconfessed sin, this also takes a toll on my emotional health. Even though it's hard, I must do the difficult things to keep my emotional health at the maximum level. During my quiet time, I asked the Lord to show me any sin I need to repent.
Forgiveness is sometimes difficult to complete due to the nature of the offense, but it's vital for our emotional health. God says forgiveness is our obligation. Scripture says we must bless those who persecute us. If I'm having difficulty forgiving someone, I choose to pray blessings over that person every time I think of them. If I'm honest, I don't always want to do this. But I must do this to align with God's will for my life. As I practiced the nature of blessing, I felt like a weight was lifted.
Sensory Health
The Fifth area to assess is sensory. This type of rest can be the most difficult to accomplish because we are bombarded with media almost every minute of our lives. Time limits can be extremely helpful to combat the negative effects of media on our lives. I strive to put away my phone or other devices past eight o'clock. If I'm feeling particularly stressed, I will listen to relaxing music and deep breathe to lessen my anxiety.
Social Health
The sixth area I analyze is social. As an introvert, I have learned to draw boundaries regarding my time. Being around people all the time is draining for an introvert. Because of this, I make sure to leave time alone for myself if I know I'll be with people all day. This is especially good when I'm teaching at a conference and going nonstop all day. In a moment, I can go from super energized to depleted. It's important to leave time to recharge and rest to be at my best, whether introverted or extroverted.
Creativity
The seventh area I analyze is creativity. This is hard for me to rest from my role as an author. I'm constantly creating new content for speaking engagements and future book projects. It is hard to lay that down once the creative juices are flowing. However, one way that allows my brain to stop thinking about my work is by coloring an adult coloring book with colored pencils. It calms me down and allows me to focus on something other than work. I love that I can create beautiful art and put color into the world.
Occasional assessment of these seven areas of health allows us to learn about the unique way God has created us. In today's technologically advanced world, it's easy for us to ignore God's rules about rest and to ignore taking the Sabbath. There's no shame in needing rest. We are good stewards of our time, body, and resources to rest when necessary. This will also help our immune system fight against infection and lessen the possibility of illness. When I wake up in the morning, I'm thankful I get another day to serve God. But I'm no good to him if I'm not coming from a place of rest. Mature Christians incorporate rest into their daily schedules and don't feel bad for doing it. They demonstrate Jesus as the ultimate example of rest so we can reach our maximum potential to spread the gospel.
Additional Resources:
Dr Saundra Dalton Smith, Sacred Rest. (Revell, Michigan, 2020.)
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Beli_photos
