Aesop, the great storyteller of ancient Greece, was once mocked by a fellow Athenian because he spent his life telling stories to children, which he called a waste of time. Aesop’s response was to un-string a bow, lay the bowstring at the man’s feet, and ask what the significance of unstrung bow was.
The man considered it and couldn’t figure out the message. Aesop explained that the wooden bow would eventually wear out and break if it was strung tight for too long a time. Resting the wood was necessary to preserve the weapon. The same is true of people.
We are designed for work and rest. It is easy to get hyper-focused on the work and the responsibilities associated. I know quite a few folks, myself included, who work every day and rarely take time to rest. When rest time does arrive, it is consumed by other work responsibilities. It’s easy to take a day off and fill the time with running around for personal business or stressful activities in the name of resting.
Part of the reason for this is that we place a high premium on busyness as a culture. It’s common to hear folks complain and brag about being busy in the same sentence.
Abraham Lincoln once said that if he was given 6 hours to cut down a tree, he’d spend the first 4 hours sharpening the axe. The idea is simple: preparing your tool is the best way to ensure that you can accomplish things quickly and efficiently. The same is true of people.
We often get less done because we fail to take breaks and rest, resulting in less energy and focus. In addition, we are far more likely to get sick if we over-stress ourselves on a regular basis. Finally, overworking yourself tends to lower your happiness and satisfaction in general, which directly affects your motivation.
Another negative impact of pushing yourself constantly, never taking time to rest or relax, is that it lowers the quality of your life outside of work. I’ve counseled many couples who are so busy that they don’t spend time talking to each other, dating, or playing with their kids. Our time spent investing in our personal relationships will pay dividends long after the urgent work tasks are no longer urgent.
The Bible has an interesting concept as it pertains to rest: sabbath. Sabbath is so important in the Bible that it is a law that folks had to obey. People were commanded by God to take a day off and enjoy life. This included spending time with God and each other.
The idea was that there is more to life than work. We were designed to enjoy the fruit of our labors. This is a double-edged sword. If we choose to never take time to rest, rest will take hold of us in the form of sickness, anxiety, burnout, etc. If we choose to ignore our designed need for rest and relaxation, eventually we will break down.
