Weary Body, Weary Spirit

January has been a rigorous month for me as I’ve been burning the candle at both ends.  My job has been especially demanding and I find myself going to bed extremely late and, as a result, waking up later than I typically would. What’s worse is that my physical and mental fatigue have derailed my spiritual strength/will power as I find myself more susceptible to making poor choices and succumbing to temptations that I would normally avert.

Balance is integral to a healthy mind, spirit and body. An important aspect of that balance, essential to our spiritual well being, is adequate sleep and rest.   When we’re tired, it’s easier to fall into sin. It’s also easier for God’s priorities in our lives to get lost in the midst of demanding schedules and dead-end worldly agendas. Because I’ve been going to bed extra late, I’ve cheated God (and especially myself) of our early morning devotion time together; my temperament is irritable; I find myself indulging in unhealthy food/drink; and my other (more important) obligations as a mother, daughter, sister and friend have been undermined.

When the Flesh is deprived of it basic necessities it tends to rebel even more, stifling the Spirit and weakening it at times to a point of submission. As Christians, we always want to engage our Spirit and restrain our Flesh and continual lack of sleep and rest threatens our ability to do that. God recognizes the importance of rest and rejuvenation and wants us to have that balance in our lives.

Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Psalm 23:2: He lets me rest in fields of green grass and leads me to quiet pools of fresh water.

Psalm 127: 2: “He gives His beloved sleep.”

Exodus 20:10: but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to me. On that day no one is to work, neither you, your children, your slaves, your animals, nor the foreigners who live in your country.

Notably, if we’re going to bed at a reasonable hour, we’re more apt to rise early in the morning to spend quiet time with God.  On numerous occasions in the bible, God called His people to “rise early” especially when there was something important that He wanted them to do.

Genesis 19:27 And Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the Lord.
Genesis 26:31 Then they arose early in the morning and swore an oath with one another; and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.
Genesis 28:18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.
Joshua 3:1 And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.
Judges 6:38 And it was so. When he (Gideon) rose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece together, he wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of water.
1 Samuel 15:12 And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning..
1 Samuel 17:20 So David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, and took the things and went as Jesse had commanded him.
Mark 16:2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they (Mary etc.) came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
Acts 5:21 And when they heard that, they (Apostles) entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught.

When we rise early and spend uninterrupted quiet time with God before starting our day, we gain a Godly perspective on how to plan our day so that we can best accomplish our (His) goals.

“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” Benjamin Franklin

 Are you getting enough rest? How has it affected your spiritual life?