Down Time

Wow! If ever a lesson was 31 years late, it is the one I learned this week.

Make time to rest.

Unfortunately relaxing, though it should be the easiest thing in the world to do, is a foreign concept for me.  I feel if there is time, surely there is something productive I could be doing.  I am a very driven person who is self motivated. So all I need is a little opportunity to push myself beyond the limits.  I always feel as though I could be more productive or take something good or even great to the next level.  Are these negative qualities? NO!! Not in and of themselves.  Together with wisdom, someone possessing these qualities could turn the world upside down.

And the deception is that "if I push myslef a little harder, or deny myself this pleasure, I could get so much more done".  But it is actually the opposite.  It actually hurts your effectiveness, and decreases your productivity. 

In Psalm 103:14 the psalmist proclaims "He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust."  Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that yes, there is little that mankind cannot accomplish if we set our minds to it, but yet and still we are frail creatures, fully dependant upon an Omnipotent God. And this same Omnipotent God, worked 6 days then rested.  Not because He needed rest, but as a loving Father, set an example for us.  
As parents, entrepreneurs, wives, and all of the other hats we wear, we often don't see that it is even possible to take a break, let alone for an entire day. At least not without the roof caving in, or the world falling apart. 

But we can either approach rest proactively, or re-actively.

If you schedule down time, yes things may for a moment get out of hand, but if you are recovering from stress related illness, things will get even more out of hand.  And maybe your reputation as supermom will be injured but your reputation as a mom who loves her family and herself enough to plan for longevity will remain in tact.

Now let's talk about this race. Yes life is like a race; not a sprint but a marathon.  Endurance is key. And endurance cannot be achieved without scheduled down time. We cannot be what I call firecrackers, we start out with a bang-then fizzle out or burn out, unable to be lit again.

Last but not least, learning to schedule downtime can be passed down to your children like being a workaholic was passed down to me.

So kick back and relax. Go for a walk, or just watch the sun rise.
Enjoy your salvation. It will also make your home a happier place.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

2 Cor 4:7