Reflection to Insight

Life can get crazy busy for us all. We have various responsibilities that we need to tend to. It may be work, school, raising a family, or anything else. Our responsibilities are important. We might also spend time driving towards other goals and accomplishments. This is a great thing to do, as being driven and wanting to achieve the next level is what helps us progress in life. But sometimes we can get stuck in the grind a little bit too much. We can then start to feel miserable and overworked. The important thing to keep in mind, is that we are all human, and we must give ourselves time to recover.

Recovery is important for not just our mental health, but our physical health as well. If we aren’t getting enough sleep, it negatively affects our ability to process and think the next day. If we aren’t eating because we’re too busy, it can cause our immune systems to grow weak. We will end up having a lack of energy that we ultimately need for our daily routines. If we aren’t careful, our schedules can oftentimes affect our relationships as well. There are certainly times where we may need to say no to a group of friends that want to hang out one evening. There are points when we need to just batten down and get things done. But we also must remember the importance of relationships. If we get so busy that we push everyone away, we may miss out on chances to build deeper connections with our friends and family. We have to make sure that we are dividing our time in a productive way towards our goals and responsibilities, as well as our relationships.

In the Bible, God calls us to work. We have responsibilities to work for the expansion of His kingdom. For some that may look like missionary work. For others it may look like ministry work as a pastor. It may even be something like reaching out to a friend or colleague and checking in on them. God calls us to express His love to those around us. In order for that to happen though, we must make sure our battery is fully charged. For that to happen, we must rest. God talks about this throughout the Bible. We know that He himself rested on the seventh day after he created the world. Our father doesn’t want us to grind so hard that we run ourselves dry. If that happens, we can’t accomplish what He has for us. Hebrews 4: 9-11 – “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.”

I know that in my own life, especially with school, I have to remind myself to slow down and take a breather from time to time as well. It’s busy in a good way, but there is still a lot of responsibility that filters through. There are days where I have to take a mental break and just focus on self care. I’ve had different colleagues, friends, and family express to me how important this is. There are times when the homework needs to be set aside, and something else needs to be done. Whether that is hanging out with a friend on campus, talking with someone from my hometown, or just falling into a relaxing state of peace and stillness. I’ve found that sometimes it’s nice to just sit or lay somewhere and close your eyes. You don’t have to try and make yourself fall asleep if you aren’t tired. The main thing you’re doing is just remaining very still and quite. Doing that is one way to recuperate some, and it feels really nice.

There is nothing wrong with taking some time to step back from our schedules and just relax some. We shouldn’t feel guilty. There is a difference between laziness and resting. It’s important to distinguish between the two for sure. But it is still crucial to slow down every once in a while. Rest can come in many forms. It might be walking outdoors on a nice day, taking a nap, reading a favorite book, watching a movie, or praying to God. Whatever it is, just be sure to treat yourself and relax some. I hope this post was able to bring some life and encouragement to you all today. Thank you for taking the time to read what I had to write. And remember to reflect as you walk through your day!