The Role of Rest

Now that the summer solstice has passed and we are officially in season of vacation, I thought we should discuss the utility of rest as a source of FU3L. If we look at food, fitness, and faith we can see that taking a break is something that unifies all three areas.

• The natural food cycle has a period of rest between sowing and reaping that is the time of growth. Also, many recipes call for a dish to "rest" for a period of time to allow the flavors to blend and balance out. 
• In the world of fitness, taking a day off gives the body time to heal and restock glycogen. According to a Runner's World article titled "The Importance of Rest Days" it allows the muscles time to adapt to the work for optimal performance. 
• As for faith, The Bible commands us to Sabbath, or take one day of rest per week. This is to give us time to reflect on what God has done for us that week without distraction. In an era of 24/7 connection to the grid, it is humbling to see that the world will keep moving forward even if we are not participating in it. We are not necessary, but rather privileged, to be a part of His kingdom.

Taking a word from the food lexicon, rest gives us time to digest. It gives us the proper perspective as we re-enter our week refreshed. While it can seem like a sacrifice to give up time, in fact we are the better for it in the end as we become well-balanced and better adapted for the next challenge. Jesus says, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27). As with all of God's commands, the call to rest was designed for our benefit. 


So enjoy your time at the beach and comment on how taking a break has helped you re-FU3L