An Energizing Rest

An Energizing Rest

Watch on YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RmLBe143tg&t=39s

I wanted to end our series on Energizing to Engage with the topic of rest, and that’s because the rest provided by God energizes us for God’s Kingdom purposes.

While rest is one of the most important areas of our overall health, it is also one of the most neglected.

Medical science even agrees that those who get regular and adequate rest are more likely not to get sick as compared to those who burn the midnight oil. Maybe we can say that those who burn the candle at both ends aren’t as bright as they think.

There’s a story of a man who complained to his doctor that he felt burnt out and tired. But, the doctor couldn’t find anything medically wrong. And so he asked the man to write down what he might be doing that would contribute to his tiredness.

After listing out five things, the doctor took the list, studied it, and after a few moments wrote out his prescription. He said, “Don’t do these five things,” and listed what the man had written.

And I think we can say, if modern medicine could bottle rest, or put it in pill form, it would be the hottest and most profitable drug on the market.

But if we want to reap the benefits of rest, and have a much healthier life, we have to slow down and take the time to rest.

Now, what are some of the benefits of rest?

Benefits of Rest

Improves Memory and Cognitive Skills

Contrary to popular opinion, our minds don’t shut down when we sleep; rather they continue to process information, which allows us to perform better.

So the saying we have to shut down our minds before we go to sleep is unrealistic. Instead we have to start thinking on those things that will enhance our tomorrows.

The Bible tells us what these things are. “Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” (Philippians 4:8 NKJV)

Maintains a Healthy Weight and Lifestyle

Adequate sleep and rest releases into the human body hormones that control our appetite. Further, when we’re overly tired we don’t have the energy to exercise and cook healthy meals. Instead, it’s drive through time and our favorite fast-food joint.

The less sleep we get the hungrier we become and we crave the more high-fat and even higher calorie foods, like ice crème, or chips and dip.

Reduces Stress and Increases Heart Health

Being well rested reduces a person’s stress levels, thus improving heart health. Rest brings a person’s blood pressure under control and significantly reduces heart related issues and disease.

Lack of proper rest, however, seriously ups stress levels making a person more susceptible to heart attack and other heart problem. Research favors then greater rest for a healthier heart.

Fights Emotional Letdowns

Lack of proper rest brings on a greater chance of the dreaded “D’s.” These are, despair, discouragement, disappointment, despondency, disillusionment, distress, disarray, dejection, and the most dreaded of them all, depression.

Lessens Pain

Chronic and acute pain is lessened when someone gets adequate rest and gets enough sleep. Studies have actually shown a relationship between a lack of sleep and lowering a person’s threshold for pain.

Now, in all these various studies they have concluded that people need to take a day of rest every week from life’s hectic schedule. And this is something that God said way back in the beginning. It is known as the Sabbath.

The Sabbath

Because there is so much going on in our lives, we find ourselves needing to catch up, and soon we find ourselves out of breath in the attempt.

We live in a 24/7 culture with cellphones and the Internet to help us stay connected and assessable.

And yet with all these so-called efficiencies, we seem to have less time than ever before. When it comes to life, however, warp speed has a way warping our souls.  The more we spread ourselves; we’ll soon find that there is nothing left of us at the end of the day.

To counter this overall feeling of tiredness we pop vitamins and no-doze tablets. We take herbal supplements and drink coffee and high-power energy drinks. We do anything and everything to get a boost to see us through the day.

Now, as a side note, it’s been said that our hectic lifestyles is nothing more than anesthesia to deaden the pain of an empty life.

So, if we don’t want to fall apart, we need to take time and come apart from all the stress; and rest. God calls it taking the Sabbath.