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)
