A few days ago I joined The High Calling Blog Community. I had seen the badge on a few blogs I love so I decided to check it out myself. High Calling Blogs is a community of The High Calling of our Daily Work whose mission is to glorify God in everyday life and work. The network consists of nearly 1000 writers who are interested in conversations about faith and work. Since my blog fits the "faith conversation" mold and I love finding new blogs to read as well as receiving comments on my own blog, I thought it would be a great match.
The morning after I joined, I received a newsletter via e-mail with some featured articles. Wouldn't you know that the first article I read, The Rest of Your Life, resonated with my personal journey of Self Care that has become a theme I write a bit about on my blog. I thought the writer of this article, Ed Gungor, clearly articulated the biblical arguments for rest and how taking time to rest has become quite counter-cultural.
In my own experience, I have found that the concept of rest and self care seems to run counter culture even in Christian circles. Most Christian moms I know work, work, work and run, run, run all the time! There seems to be no time to rest, to be with friends, to have date night with the husband. Although I have not gotten where I think I need to be in terms of balance in my life, I have definitely made progress in setting boundaries for ministry outside my home as well as taking time to take care of myself and rest. I have shared this journey with many of my friends but, if I am being honest, I do still feel a little embarrassed that I need these times of rest. I wonder if others think I am simply lazy or selfish. I wonder if maybe I am simply lazy and selfish. So, articles like The Rest of Your Life are a great encouragement to me. They remind me that I am doing the right thing for my family and in God's eyes by honoring His commandment to rest.
What have your experiences with Rest and Self Care been like? How do you make time for rest? What kinds of activities are restorative for you?
Oh, the Piles!
12 years ago
Posts
7 comments:
Thanks for joining Higher Callings Blog. I know my wife (6 kids) faces the same challenges of finding "rest" in a rush rush world. When you read through the Bible, I notice that Jesus never seems in a hurry going about his day. I wish I could say the same for myself.
You are absolutely right about Jesus, Douglas. No only is He never hurried but He welcomed "interruptions" in His schedule- using them as opportunities to minister to the sick and the hurting. Thanks for stopping by!
Natalie,
You're exactly right! Recently I've been studying "Building a Discipling Culture" by Breen & Cockram. They use "lifeshapes" to illustrate principles Jesus taught. The semi-circle reminds us of the rhythm of life - rest/work. Interestingly, Breen & Cockram suggest that our work should come from a place of rest, and not the other way around.
Thanks for the reminder - and once again, welcome to High Calling Blogs.
Thank you for that insight Cheryl. Sounds like a fascinating study! And thank you again for the warm welcome to HCB.
I, too, want to welcome you to High Calling Blogs!
The Puritan work ethic and proverbs about laziness and sluggards are just two things that cause Christians in America to resist rest...even though rest is a command (and a gift to us!) in the Old Testament. And Jesus says His yoke is easy and His burden is light, and when we learn take His yoke upon us and learn from Him, He will give us...rest.
In our high-productivity, high-efficiency, high-speed culture, people are afraid to rest and some have no idea how to rest.
I've written a book about slowing down in our fast-paced world (called Not So Fast) and hope to ignite healthy conversations as families consider the pace of their lives and how it impacts their faith and relationships.
But your post encourages me that some people are holding to priorities such as rest.
I think you would enjoy reading The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan, if you haven't discovered it already.
Thank you, Ann, for stopping by with kind words! I would love to read your book and the one you recommended, too. I have been blessed and encouraged by HCB already!!!
Hi Nat!
You should definitely NOT feel guilty about being a human being. This hurry-scurry lifestyle is not the way God intended man to live. This overwork/guilt seems to be an epidemic among American woman these days.
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