Time Out!
April 11, 2025
Time out isn’t just for athletes, it’s for everyone: When you get involved in too many activities, try to burn the candle at both ends, push yourself beyond your limits, and neglect yourself when meeting the needs of others, among other things, your mind and your body will give you signs. Working beyond what you’re meant to handle over an extended period of time often leads to a lack of sufficient, quality sleep. You already know how lack of sleep causes the physical effects that have you downing caffeinated beverages like coffee, tea, and energy drinks; but did you know that sleep deficiency has even greater detrimental effects on your mind? These are the facts: Sleep deficiency can cause you to have trouble making decisions, solving problems, memory loss, managing your emotions and behavior, and coping with change; not to mention causing you to become irritable and unable to concentrate. And if you suffer from mental conditions like depression and/or anxiety, it can exacerbate those conditions! Your body suffers, your mind suffers, AND your spirit suffers as a result of sleep deficiency. We can feel as if life is spiraling out of control…
Well, the Bible contains many passages that note that God fully understands that rest is vital to a positive human experience. He urges you to take a time out and to seek rest in Him. For example, most of us are familiar with Psalms 23 (a psalm of David). Verses 2-3 say, “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.” In Psalm 116: 7, David writes, “Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.” And in Psalm 4:8, David says, “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” David learned that sufficient rest is essential for the soul as well as the body. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus himself declares, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
When we sleep, our body, mind, and spirit are renewed. But that renewal takes time. Sufficient time. If we don’t allow sufficient time for that process to happen, we deprive ourselves of that deep, renewing sleep that is necessary for us to feel refreshed and renewed when we awake. Over an extended period of time, sleep deficiency will wear away our ability to maintain a healthy body, mind, and spirit. Like I mentioned earlier, life will seem to be spiraling out of control; but not only will we suffer, everyone around us will suffer, too. When you aren’t feeling rested, you end up taking it out not only on yourself (negative thoughts and feelings), you end up taking it out on your family, friends, coworkers, and even random strangers through irritability, quick temper, and mistakes caused by lack of concentration. Here are some examples: Yelling at your spouse and kids for the most minor of things, cussing at that driver that cut you off in traffic, incorrectly completing that report at work that resulted in someone not receiving a timely and much-needed payment—any of those sound familiar? They could be the results of sleep deficiency over an extended period of time. So do yourself a favor of necessity: Take a time out! Make it a priority to get some overdue rest and sleep so your body, mind, and spirit can be renewed. And then take it a step further—Make getting enough rest and sleep on a regular basis a part of your DAILY routine. Not only will you thank God and yourself, those around you will thank you too!! Your mind and spirit will be at peace. So stop trying to be superwoman/superman by thinking that taking on too much and burning the candle at both ends is necessary for survival; it’s not. The world constantly tells us that more, more, more and greater, greater, greater is the standard. It shouldn’t. The Bible tells us, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”—Romans 12:2.
You can’t have peace if your mind is in turmoil. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”—John 14:27. Now take a time out and go get some rest! Then you will receive the peace needed to walk in your purpose.