This is part 2 of the post: 3 Reasons We All Need Rest

Let’s review; in part 1 I said that life is stressful. Some of it is in within our control, and some is just a part of life. Rest is a form of detox from stress. I presented 1 reason why we need rest, here are 2 more.

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Reason 2: Rest brings balance to your life

First the benefit to our own health and wellbeing, stress can wear you down. It affects your memory and performance. Secondly, for the health of our family (YOUR #1 PRIORITY)! In the book, How to be a Hero to your Kids, Josh McDowell say that kids spell LOVE – T-I-M-E and John Maxwell defines success as “when those closest to you, respect you the most”.

We might be gone tomorrow and life will still go on without you! Think about it, is the business deal, big meeting, the sales this or that, or anything you can fill the blank with worth losing your health, family and spiritual connectedness with God? When you take time to rest, you can invest that time into your family and spiritual relationship with the Lord.

Rest allows you to put things into perspective. When you rest your mind can make better sense of what is going on, allowing you to make better decisions. Philippians 4 tells us to not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Than it goes onto give us a list of things to think on and fill our minds with. They are whatever is; true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable.

When we are stressed, we feel out of control and worn out, and it is becomes hard to think this way.

Reason 3: Give you the opportunity to recharge and spiritual be refreshed

We all have things that recharge our battery emotionally, spiritually, physically and relationally. On your full day off, do these things.

For me, it’s coffee and a book, time with my wife and daughter, being outside, camping, etc. Your list will be different, but take some time to make one. Ultimately your day of rest should consist of taking some time to be spiritually refreshed. That is why when they talk about the Sabbath in the Old Testament, they say it is a day of Sacred Assembly. Because Holy Spirit lives in you and walks with you every moment of the day, any moment you choose can be a sacred assembly.

What if:

You lived in balance? You felt more rested? Your family felt more connected to each other? You were more productive at work? Were able to enjoy life more? This isn’t a dream list, it can be a reality starting this week

So what to do now?

Schedule a 24 hour block of time for rest (Include your family), turn the cell phone on silent, sleep in or go to bed early, make a list of what charges your battery (physically, spiritually, mentally) and do no regular work!