We live in a busy world with many demands on our time and attention. In addition, the social media gives us plenty of opportunities to be distracted and waste our time on frivolous information. While we may complain about our stress level, some of it is generated by our choices. We need God’s rest!
Many people have stresses in their lives that take away from God’s rest for them. I used to think that stress is generated by our daily activities and our busy lifestyle. However, after reading some more on this topic, I found out that there are many stressors in people’s lives. For example, unresolved issues from the past, unhappy relationships or jobs, disappointments, and uncertainty about the future can all create their own versions of stresses. These stressors wear the body down and create various forms of physical, emotional, and mental issues.
The Lord cares very much about our rest and He set the example for us.
By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Genesis 2:2
The Lord who is all mighty and powerful rested from His work on the seventh day. At this point, sin had not entered the world. Rest was part of God’s design from the beginning, and He set the example for us to rest. If God rested on the seventh day, that tells us that we need to rest at least one day a week.
The antidote to stress is resting in God. Resting means to cease from doing. God has designed our bodies to rest. He has written the manufacturer’s manual, and He tells us that this is what we need to function optimally. Scientists tell us that people need 7-9 hours of sleep to stay healthy and function well.
We tend to take care of our cars according to manufacturer’s manual, but why do we not take the Bible seriously in His instructions about our bodies!? Many people suffer from various physical, emotional, and mental ailments because they dismiss getting the rest they need and work on reducing stress in their lives.
Are you resting well? Do you get enough sleep on a daily basis? If not, what do you need to change to ensure you are getting the rest you need?