Rest is a Verb

December is a crazy month.  It’s that time of year when everyone I meet exudes a sense of childlike excitement mingled with very real adult-like exhaustion.  In December, maybe more than any other time of the year, we run ourselves ragged trying to insure that we find just the right gifts for everyone on our list and attending every party and event for school, work and church while attempting to stay on top of our regular daily to-do lists as well.  And, as I sit here in the midst of all of this craziness, I’m struck once again by the fact that our culture has lost sight of the importance of rest.

This idea of “rest” (or the lack of it) has been an ongoing theme in my life for the past several months.  As I’ve transitioned from a demanding corporate job to a more relaxed academic career, I’ve taken some time to examine the things that are working well in my life and the things that needed some adjustment.   And, I’ve realized that one thing that is glaringly absent from my life is time for rest.  The rest that I’m talking about is not just sleep (although I could certainly use more of that).  It’s something more than that.  I’ve spent quite a bit of time thinking about this concept of rest, and this is what I’ve concluded:

Rest is a verb.

When I say that rest is a verb, I’m not just talking about a part of speech.  What I’m saying is that rest is active.  Rest requires us to DO something.  It doesn’t just happen on its own.

Newton’s First Law of Motion goes something like this:  “An object in motion tends to remain in motion unless acted upon by some external force.”  Once an object is moving, it doesn’t just stop on its own.  You have to DO something to make it slow down or stop.  I think that the same is true of our lives.  We’re all busy – all the time.  We are constantly on the move – running to school, to work, to the grocery store, back to school, to soccer practice, back to work, to band practice, back to school, to church,… and so it goes.  I’m guessing that most of you know what I’m talking about.  And, even when we’re at home “unwinding,” we’re still in motion – talking on the phone, texting our friends, reading e-mail or social media feeds, or even catching up on work to make sure that we’re prepared for that big presentation.  It never stops – and it won’t stop – unless we take some action to MAKE it stop.

That’s why I maintain that rest is a verb.  It doesn’t just happen.  You have to be intentional about carving out time in your schedule to stop the motion so that you can rest.  Rest is active – not passive.  The kind of rest that I’m talking about is more than just passing out on your bed at midnight from pure exhaustion.  The kind of rest that I’m talking about is a “selah” break in your routine.  The Psalmist used Selah to remind the reader to stop and mediate on what they had just heard.  That’s the kind of rest that’s needed in our lives today - a time to pause our schedule and simply reflect.  Selah.

I have come to the conclusion that we need to specifically build time into our schedules for rest – physical, mental, and spiritual.  Physical rest gives our bodies time to heal and renew.  It’s ceasing from activity – sitting down on the couch or the porch – taking that Sunday afternoon nap.  Your physical strength is renewed when you take time to rest.

Mental rest allows us the luxury of quieting our minds.  It’s putting the to-do list aside, turning off all of the inputs that demand our attention, and doing something that rejuvenates your thought life.  That could be reading a book or writing in your journal or just enjoying the silence.  It’s ok to close your computer and ignore your e-mail and social media feeds.  I guarantee that anything there can wait 30 minutes or an hour while you take a break.  It’s ok to turn off your cell phone once in a while.  That’s why God created voice mail.

Spiritual rest restores your soul.  Meditate on the goodness of God.  Count your blessings.  The psalmist says “BE STILL and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10)  When was the last time that you found a quiet place to simply be still and soak in the presence of God – without asking him for anything – just thinking on His goodness? 

I’ll say it again – rest won’t “just happen.”  Downtime won’t magically appear in your schedule.  Believe me, I’ve tried that approach, and there’s always something else that needs to be done.  Rest is something you DO – it’s a verb – something to be actively pursued.

As a society, we’ve lost sight of the importance of rest.  And, if we’re not careful, we’re all going to suffer as a result.  My goal for next year is to be more intentional about building rest into my schedule.  Yes, there are things that might not get done immediately, but in the long run, I believe that taking time to rest will help me to be physically healthy, mentally sound, and spiritually at peace.  And, ultimately, all of that will benefit not just me, but my family, my friends, and my co-workers.

During this Christmas season, find some time to rest and reflect on the most wonderful gift that this world has ever received – Think about that silent night – Imagine yourself in the stable gazing on the face of the baby who would one day save the world.  Be still and know that He is God and remember that He loves you and has good plans for you.  If you do, I believe that you’ll find a renewed joy as you celebrate the season this year.