If you haven’t read the previous posts in this series on rejoicing, prioritization, and taking action, they may be helpful.

Rest Appropriately

Now that I’ve admonished you for potential laziness, my next piece of advice is to rest. Yes, it sounds contradictory but it is not. God commands us both to work and to rest. But particularly to rest in Him. Consider Psalm 127, emphasis mine.

[Psa 127:1-2 LSB] 1 A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon. Unless Yahweh builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless Yahweh watches the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain. 2 It is in vain that you rise up early, That you sit out late, O you who eat the bread of painful labors; [For] in this manner, He gives sleep to His beloved.

What you must understand is that the temptation to avoid sleep, load up on caffeine, pull an all-nighter, and do all the things without rest is usually counterproductive in that your capacity for quality work diminishes as you miss out on your much-needed rest. God gives to His beloved SLEEP. It is His gift to the overwhelmed. Sleeping when the tasks are not finished is an act of faith that God can handle our problems better than we can, and an acknowledgment of the way He ordered creation. We need sleep even when there are things to do!

Finally, in the last post, I will review receiving counsel humbly while you are overwhelmed.