Three responses that I hear on a regular basis when I ask friends, family, co-workers and even just acquaintances how they are doing is busy, tired, and exhausted. Busyness is for sure a problem. In the workplace the expectation seems to be you are available 24/7. Busyness is worn as a badge of honor if you’re busy you must be important. Busyness, however, is a poor substitute for true productivity. Even in our homes there seems to be this incessant drive toward busyness especially when it comes our children, we seem bent on filling every waking minute of the day with activities. Even our children are exhausted.

Tiredness and exhaustion are plaguing multitudes and it’s plundering us of our energy, strength, time, health and well-being. There are internal and external factors that contribute to the tiredness and exhaustion so many are experiencing including lack of sleep, stress, too much caffeine, inadequate hydration, obesity, nutrient deficiencies such as low iron, vitamin B, C, D, or minerals such as magnesium. A diet high in added sugar may harm sleep and lead to chronically high blood sugar and insulin levels, resulting in fatigue. A sedentary lifestyle and certain medications can lead to tiredness. There are also possible underlying medical conditions that can contribute to the problem.

In addition, there is a condition known as chronic fatigue syndrome. Symptoms include sensitivity to light, headache, tender lymph nodes, fatigue and weakness, muscle and joint pain, inability to concentrate, insomnia, forgetfulness, mood swings, confusion low-grade fever, and depression.

The list is long, but I can’t help but wonder and ask, “What if most of the things I’ve mentioned so far are symptoms and manifestations, and the underlying cause is a lack of rest. “Is it possible many of the things we are struggling and grappling with could be corrected by simply getting and taking rest. Are we reaping the results of having violated God’s commandment to remember the Sabbath? Ever wonder why does the fourth commandment requiring rest start with the word “remember”? Did God think “I’m giving them ten straightforward commandments, but this fourth one, is a tough one, I need to remind them to remember this one? There are numerous instances in the scriptures where the Israelites did indeed forget. They ignored and violated the command to keep the Sabbath and paid a steep price for their disobedience.

Which leads me to the question Why? Why don’t we rest? Why do we seem to resist rest? Is it because we don’t think we need it; we fail to recognize our need for rest? Could it be we don’t realize how exhausted we are and think it is the new norm in life and haven’t experienced what it feels like to truly be rested? Is the reason we don’t rest because we don’t know how? Could the answer be fear or FOMO, (Fear Of Missing Out), if we take down time the rest of the world will get ahead and pass us by? I believe a major part of the answer is a desire for control. If you think about it the concept of rest has the idea of reliance, trust and dependence associated to it.

When we take time to rest it means we must trust in God to supply our needs and sustain us. The reason we rebel against rest which amounts to rebelling against God is our desire for independence from God and being in control. The bible says we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Our bodies are incredibly intricate. Anyone studying anatomy soon discovers that when God made us it was an amazing creation. He knows us through and through and gave us clear guidelines how to take care of our bodies. From the very beginning we see design, rhythm, and balance. And that balance has built into it the principle and practice of rest. Are you tired of being tired? Stop resisting the gift of rest.

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