Meditation
Yes, “Jesus wept.” It’s well known as the shortest verse in the Bible. But here’s another brief, two-word phrase that might further revolutionize your life: Jesus napped.
Of course, it’s unlikely that Jesus napped everyday. He surely had his fair share of busyness. His calendar—so to speak—was stacked.
But given the Lord’s demonstration from the beginning of creation of rest on the seventh day, which later became a command (not just a good idea) to Sabbath, the Lord definitely knew how to stop working, slow down, and sleep. After all, Christ knew what the psalmist had written:
“It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for He gives to His beloved sleep” (Psalm 127:2).
As a doer, I used to altogether resist the idea of napping, even in the face of modern research that proves mid-afternoon sleep can improve memory, performance, mood, and alertness, all while reducing stress. As I’ve practiced resting more in the Lord, though, embracing His easy yoke and light burden, this has also resulted in more napping. It takes practice to get better at it, but you could benefit from it, too.
Jesus embrace His humanity so much, He even embraced limitations like weariness. If you are looking to co-work with Him, consider resting like Him. Even if there’s chaos and storms surrounding you, that shouldn’t prevent you from sleeping. Just like Jesus.
Excerpt*
Throughout the whole of scripture and our own experience, the evidence is clear: God works while we wait. In fact, He even does it when we are off the clock, fast asleep (Psalm 127:2, NASB).
*From the book, Do Nothing, if you haven’t read it yet.
Action
Take a 30-minute nap at least once over the next week. Add it to your calendar if you must, so that you make sure you do it. Or, just lay down when you feel tired. Who knows, you might like it.
Reflection
What prevents you from sleeping more than you do?
Looking for another day of detox for doers? Access all 30-days of content.