Presription for Rest

"She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness." Proverbs 31:27

It's 4:30am here. For some reason I can't sleep. I don't know. Maybe, just maybe it was that iced latte I had with a friend before bedtime? Or it could be a combination of that, and the 100 degree heat wave that we are having this weekend. Whatever the reason, I have been tossing and turning all night.

When I can't sleep at night I am in the habit of praying. It always brings me comfort to talk to God about what's happening in my life and the middle of the night just happens to be pretty quiet around here. On this early Sunday morning though, I felt led to get up and write. The above verse kept running through my thoughts. So I got up and revisited Proverbs 31, and here I am.

I don't consider myself to be one that "eats the bread of idleness." After all, I do have 5 small children! Their day to day routine alone keeps me busy! I would say that at least half of my waking hours are spent giving my attention to them in one way or another, from breakfast in the morning, to jammie time at night. I consider myself blessed to be able to be an at home mom. I can't imagine a better occupation at this point in my life.

It's the other 50% of my waking hours that I am considering this morning. I have to confess that lately, I have felt like I deserve to partake of the for mentioned bread. That "I need a vacation" attitude has been creeping up on me for quite some time now. It's when that feeling comes over me that all I want to do in my spare time is sit and veg in front of the tv, or computer.

So, what do I do about this feeling? Well, usually I start with a list. It involves asking myself a few questions. How much time am I spending doing the things that I really love? (i.e. devotional time, reading books, writing in my journal, blogging) What are a few things around the house that I have been meaning to get done but just haven't "had the time?" (Maybe finishing that project in the master bathroom I've been working on?) What kind of creative new games and projects can I come up with to spend time just hanging out with my kids? Finally, I absolutely can't forget my husband. (Although I must admit that sadly, he often comes last when he should rank at the top of my list.) How much time have I spent focusing on my marriage, and love of my life?

All of these questions come down to one thing. What are the priorities in my life? How do I balance each of these areas in the 16 hours or so of my day that I am usually awake? The only thing I can do is work at it. When I feel off balance in one area or another it's usually time for a change in routine. Maybe it's a date night with my spouse. Perhaps I need to have coffee with a friend. (Though not late at night!) Or maybe I just need to get up, read my Bible and pray.

We all need a little down time. Jesus often withdrew to the lonely places for it in Luke 5:16. Mary sat at the Lord's feet for it in Luke 10:38-42. Even God rested after creating the world in Genesis 2:2.

There is a distinct difference between rest and "eating the bread of idleness." The Hebrew translation for "idleness" is "atsluwth" (pronounced ats-looth), meaning sluggishness, or laziness. Matthew 28:11 says "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." The Greek translation of "rest" in this verse is "anapauo" (pronounced an-ap-ow-o), meaning to cause or permit one to cease from any movement or labour in order to recover and collect his strength.

Today I am taking Matthew 28:11 to heart. I am choosing to rest in Him and lay my burdens down. After I take time to recover and collect my strength, everything else will fall into place. And on that thought, I am going to rest my tired eyes before my little ones wake up to begin a new day!