Are You Taking Time To Rest?

With our busy schedules these days, who has time to rest? Who would even admit that they were taking time to rest? Being busy seems to be the main thing people brag about these days. 

Image via Pixaby

A few months ago, I remember a friend posting on Facebook that she couldn't remember the last time she had a good night's sleep. I remember being surprised at the responses to her: several women confessed that they were getting by on four hours of sleep or less. The sad part is they seemed to accept this as normal.

Four hours or less! A study by the National Sleep Foundation found that adults from 18-64 need seven to nine hours of sleep a night to function properly. These study also states that sleep is a basic need, like food or water.

I know I sure struggle to get my eight hours rest. Work is so busy, and stress often keeps me from sleeping properly. As I was reading God's word yesterday, I was asking the LORD for wisdom for the exhaustion I was feeling, and came upon these two verses:

And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Genesis 2:2-3

God rested on the seventh day, after six days of working. He took a whole day! And I was reminded of how he created the world: day and night. The day was for working, and before electricity, people slept at night. God himself rested -- and he gave us a day just for resting. He also gave us a time of darkness every day, just for resting. 

LORD, please give me the wisdom to learn how to take care of my mind and body by getting my sleep. Forgive me for being so careless in meeting my need for sleep. LORD, let me not give in to our culture's dictates that I must be busy every day, every hour. Let me take time to rest, O LORD.