On Rest

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

—1 Thessalonians 5:23

I went to a retreat several years ago, and the woman who led it, in her opening remarks, said, “Oh, by the way, while you’re up here, if at any time you want to rest or sleep, by all means do—sometimes it’s the most spiritual and obedient thing we can do.”

We all laughed nervously—who doesn’t need a nap, right?

And I’ve been thinking about her words for years. How often do we push and rush and produce and achieve, and then find ourselves depleted and short with the people we love? And then how often do we blame ourselves for being weak or unorganized?

Lately, I’ve been aiming to live what the woman at the retreat taught. I’m learning that to rest is not to be weak. To rest is to prepare yourself to be used by God—because imagine what he can do in a person who is fully rested, able to think well and feel deeply?

I’m learning to see naps as holy gifts, going to bed early as an investment in my relationships, and admitting my tiredness as a sign that I’m committed to caring for myself well: body, soul, and mind.