When Naps Are Godly
"In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." -Psalm 4:8
Recently, I made a statement that true rest comes from relationship with God. In fact, I believe that so much so, that I will expand on it here. You cannot find real rest anywhere apart from God. God invented rest. He was the first person to rest. Rest was his idea, if you will.
For me, I feel like I'm constantly battling for rest. It's so easy to get busy in today's society. We can find a million things to keep us busy, but it's extremely hard to get rest. In fact, most of us cannot remember the last time we were truly bored for a long period of time. We are constantly doing, which is why the Great Commission is so easy to understand..."As you are going, make disciples of all nations..." We are always going!
Jesus understood our need for rest and on many occasions (even at the height of his ministry) he got away from everyone and took time to rest. He would find a quiet place away from everyone and take time for silence and solitude. I want to be more like Jesus, but man is it hard!
At the end of Psalm 4, with David surrounded by his enemies and his discontented followers, he decides to take a nap. I've heard it said that sometimes the most godly thing you can do is to take a nap. When we nap we are putting our trust in God rather than in our work. In a society that pushes us to accomplish more and more, a nap is a radical concept.
In fact, if Christians really want to be radical in today's world, my advice would be to clear your schedule and take time to rest. Show the world that you can relax and put your trust in Jesus. Rather than running from ball game to ball game, sit at home and eat dinner as a family. What a way to stand out!
David takes a nap during an extremely stressful time. Perhaps God is telling you that you need to do the same thing. In peace, David finds a place to lay down and sleep. David isn't doing this out of laziness. He is the king. His schedule is full. He's being hunted. Is his trust in his hiding abilities? Or is it in his ability to handle a sword? No. His trust is in God and he has no fear. He says to the Lord, you make me dwell in safety. God is the only one that can truly keep David safe and David knows this, so he takes a nap.
Prayer - Lord help me to trust in you so much so that I can rest. Help me to not fill my time here with busy work, but with your work. Help me to value time with you. Help me to recognize my need for rest and to actually lay down in peace. You are my protector. Thank you for caring so deeply for me that I can rest without fear or worry. Amen.
Recently, I made a statement that true rest comes from relationship with God. In fact, I believe that so much so, that I will expand on it here. You cannot find real rest anywhere apart from God. God invented rest. He was the first person to rest. Rest was his idea, if you will.
For me, I feel like I'm constantly battling for rest. It's so easy to get busy in today's society. We can find a million things to keep us busy, but it's extremely hard to get rest. In fact, most of us cannot remember the last time we were truly bored for a long period of time. We are constantly doing, which is why the Great Commission is so easy to understand..."As you are going, make disciples of all nations..." We are always going!
Jesus understood our need for rest and on many occasions (even at the height of his ministry) he got away from everyone and took time to rest. He would find a quiet place away from everyone and take time for silence and solitude. I want to be more like Jesus, but man is it hard!
At the end of Psalm 4, with David surrounded by his enemies and his discontented followers, he decides to take a nap. I've heard it said that sometimes the most godly thing you can do is to take a nap. When we nap we are putting our trust in God rather than in our work. In a society that pushes us to accomplish more and more, a nap is a radical concept.
In fact, if Christians really want to be radical in today's world, my advice would be to clear your schedule and take time to rest. Show the world that you can relax and put your trust in Jesus. Rather than running from ball game to ball game, sit at home and eat dinner as a family. What a way to stand out!
David takes a nap during an extremely stressful time. Perhaps God is telling you that you need to do the same thing. In peace, David finds a place to lay down and sleep. David isn't doing this out of laziness. He is the king. His schedule is full. He's being hunted. Is his trust in his hiding abilities? Or is it in his ability to handle a sword? No. His trust is in God and he has no fear. He says to the Lord, you make me dwell in safety. God is the only one that can truly keep David safe and David knows this, so he takes a nap.
Prayer - Lord help me to trust in you so much so that I can rest. Help me to not fill my time here with busy work, but with your work. Help me to value time with you. Help me to recognize my need for rest and to actually lay down in peace. You are my protector. Thank you for caring so deeply for me that I can rest without fear or worry. Amen.
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