Seeking Rest

Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28

WHAT’S THE VALUE of a good night’s sleep? That seems like an unanswerable question at first. But when we really think about it, there are ways to go about connecting a monetary figure to a night of unbroken rest.

We could look in a local pharmacy, for example. Several companies make over-the-counter sleeping aids for a relatively low price—anywhere from five to twenty dollars a bottle. There are also a number of prescription sleep medicines that can be purchased, but things get a little more expensive behind the counter, and such medicine requires a doctor’s visit.

Speaking of a doctor, we could answer the question another way by finding a psychiatrist. Many people seek counseling to deal with insomnia, nightmares, and other disorders, often stemming from anxiety, that regularly disrupt their sleep. These visits are not cheap either—anywhere from fifty to more than two hundred dollars an hour.

We could also assess the value of a good night’s sleep by finding a quality mattress store. Some people spend several thousand dollars for a quality bed on which to rest.

With that in mind, let’s not forget the incredible value of what Jesus promised in Matthew 11:28. In a world where people desperately seek something as simple as a good night’s sleep, imagine how wonderful it is to receive the gift of rest from our Creator—and not just rest for our physical bodies but also for our souls. It’s a rest that can remove all anxiety, conflict, and guilt from our lives and give us perfect peace.