Taking a Break

   

Hello Friends, this week I am thinking about taking breaks, and more importantly, how to know when to take a break. Many people were shocked recently when Simone Biles pulled out of the Olympics for mental health reasons. After all, that’s her job, the event she has been training for, shouldn’t she just push through? 

  The truth is, even when you are working on something you’re passionate about or good at, you still need breaks. We all need rest, but unfortunately we live in a culture which has forgotten the importance of rest. Our culture values hard work to the point of burnout, never considering the cost of the toll it takes on our minds and bodies. But what if we weren’t meant to operate that way? 

  I’d like to offer a few examples from scripture, some of which you may be familiar with. Ecclesiastes 3 tells us there is a time and place for everything, and rest is no exception. This whole world operates in seasons of ebb and flow, yet we have forgotten this principle for ourselves. If we wish the most plentiful harvest in our lives, we must learn to rest when we need it. 

  Have you ever heard that the first time a word is used in the Bible is very important, because that demonstrates it’s original intent? If you look for the word “rested” in scripture, you will find it’s first use in Genesis 7, right after God finished creating the world. This demonstrates a very clear pattern for us. God created, then he rested. And it even goes so far as to say he blessed the seventh day and made it holy. (Genesis 7:3) Clearly rest is of the utmost importance if God made a point of dedicating a whole day to it. 

  Let’s look at another example. Elijah was a prophet to the nation of Israel, and he’s what you might call an extremist today. He stood up to the king and the people. He took on four hundred and fifty prophets in a religious battle royal, and yet, even he still had to learn the value of rest. (1 Kings 18-19) Elijah was so exhausted from his work he wanted to die. But instead, he learned the value of of rest and self-care in the desert. Here he rested and ate, and was strengthened and refreshed to continue on with his journey. Even when we operate within our calling and God’s purpose, we still must learn the importance of rest. 

  Let’s come full circle and look at Jesus, God in the flesh. Jesus’s whole mission here on earth was people, yet frequently throughout the gospels, we see him slipping away to a quiet spot to rest and recharge. (Matthew 14:23, Mark 1:35, Mark 4:38, Luke 5:16) Without rest, it is impossible to fulfill our purpose.

  I want to remind you today of the importance of taking rest. Check in with yourself and see if you’ve been pushing too hard. Maybe it’s time for a break. There’s a season and a time for everything. Don’t forget to make rest a priority. I can’t wait to see you succeed. 

~K.L.W.