Sleep is
essential for good health. Scientists don’t know exactly why we need it but
they know what happens when we don’t get enough. We put ourselves at risk of
premature aging, weight gain, and diseases ranging from colds and flu to
cancer. What God accomplishes in our bodies while we drift off to dreamland is
nothing short of miraculous. While we do nothing, God replenishes our energy,
rebuilds and restores our cells, and reorganizes information in our brains.
The
reasons for not getting enough sleep are many, and some we can’t solve, but the
Bible indicates that overwork should not be one of them (Ps. 127:2). Sleep is a
gift from God that we should receive with gratitude. If we’re not getting
enough, we need to find out why. Are we rising early and staying up late to
earn money to acquire things we don’t need? Are we involved in ministry efforts
that we think no one else is capable of doing?
I’m
sometimes tempted to believe that the work I do when I’m awake is more
important than the work God does while I sleep. But refusing God’s gift of
sleep is like telling Him that my work is more important than His.
God does
not want anyone to be a slave to work. He wants us to enjoy His gift of sleep.
If we do
not come apart and rest awhile, we may just plain come apart. — Havner (RBC)
