Why Do We Fail to Rest Successfully?

The Work of Rest

I recently took a vacation and for the first time in my life I came back more rested than when I left. Have you ever felt like you needed a vacation from your vacation? Sometimes the things that make us good in the workplace become an obstacle for us to overcome when it comes to rest. My typical vacation looks like a busy schedule of activities, taking in the local sights and cultures. And while this is an effective way of collecting experiences and memories, it doesn’t always serve the purpose of rest. 

Rest is an important part of our well-being, built into our design by God. Despite it being recorded as a commandment in the Old Testament, so many of us struggle to prioritize rest. Yet there are multitudes of benefits in every aspect of our life given to those who learn how to take a rest. As more research continues more and more benefits are being discovered. Here are just a few: 

• Improved mood: Rest can help you feel better and get along with others.  

• Better sleep: Getting enough quality sleep can improve your mood, brain performance, and overall health.  

• Better decision making: Rest can help you think more clearly and make good decisions.  

• Reduced stress: Rest can help reduce stress and improve your concentration and memory.  

• Better immune system: Rest can help your body have a more effective immune response and natural ability to self-heal.  

• Better metabolism: Rest can help improve your metabolism.  

• Injury prevention: Rest can help you avoid injuries. 

• Better appetite regulation: Rest can help you regulate your appetite, which can lead to better eating and feeling.  

• Better endurance: Rest can help you have more endurance so you can complete tasks without feeling tired.  

God’s best for our lives requires us to intentionally chose to enter into that benefit. Hebrews 4:11 uses some interesting words to describe the method of experiencing rest. Some translations use these phrases; “Do your best, be diligent, make every effort… to enter the rest of God.” 

Let us do our best to go into that rest or we will be like the people who did not go in.

Hebrews 4:11 NLV

Make Every Effort...

The intentionality of creating an environment for rest was the key for me during my recent vacation. Here are some of the things that I did that served me well and contributed to a truly restorative vacation. Prior to leaving I notified my team that I would not be available while I was gone. It was important to me to get a mental break not just a change of location. In times past, I have not kept this rule, and it keeps the computer running so to speak. I wanted to emphasize the importance of taking a mental break and come back energized. I chose to not stream or watch anything on my phone (actually, the truth is I tried but it wouldn’t work). My phone is generally a work tool and not a vehicle for rest, it could be in the future, but my 5-day vacation was not long enough to disassociate it with work, so I created a boundary for myself. I did use my phone to listen to an audiobook, which stimulated my creative mind, and I found some escape through a story. One of the benefits of the place I stayed was they had a spa.  I decided to take full advantage of those facilities and allow my body to recover and rest. This is so unusual for me, but it allowed me to rest at a deeper level than I normally do. I also did not leave our hotel, so often we end up walking a great deal and the physical rest was also a gift. All these intentional decisions allowed me to get a real break and set me up to be more effective as a result. 

Practically, I want to encourage you to be intentional about talking a rest. Can you set aside 1 day a week and prioritize rest? 

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