After The Work

Ive learned over time that the best rest happens after we accomplish something. When I was a teenager, I could sleep to 11am and still feel tired. When I was recovering from back surgery in my 30’s, I was always tired but never felt “rest”. Rest for the body, mind, and soul. The kind of rest that combats burnout, chronic busyness, and fatigue that comes from a life always in motion for fear we will be left behind.

There is nothing like rest after a workout. I sleep so soundly on the days I work out. Something accomplished purely for my own health is still worth doing because it’s good to value the life we have been given. We are not taught well to care for our mind, body, and soul. Our culture in America is goal oriented and profit driven. Many work out so they can post themselves on their workout blog as a side hustle. What about self care for self care’s sake?

There was a time our culture was centered around a day of rest; whole towns relaxed on Sunday. Stores were closed except for essential services, things could wait for Monday. The urgency for self satisfaction or whatever drives us tired was seen as unhealthy. There are more important things than getting your oil changed on Sunday. People stayed home together, broke bread, kids played outside.

I’m not saying we need to return to “simpler times”; Im not some “boomer” lamenting how terrible life is now. We have some incredible things happening in our society. I’m saying is that we lose something when we are always driven forward seeking self satisfaction–we lose ourselves. The rhythm of working and resting is inter-weaved into our lives. Our breathing in is work, breathing out is rest. We are awake during the day and rest at night. It is interesting that focused breathing and a good night’s rest are both written about for good mental health.

In the scriptures, Genesis 1 discusses the creation story in poetic beauty. It matters not if they are literal days or not, the arguments people make about this passage always seem to miss the two biggest lessons it presents: The Creator is Almighty and even the Almighty rested. Does that mean God gets tired? No. The Father rested after Creation to show us an important rhythm, work and rest.

God created and then rested. Jesus in his ministry would preach and then retreat for rest and prayer. For centuries in the West and in other cultures people work and rest. (You do not have to come from the Judeo-Christian world to know the value of a day off.) For example, 1:14 Confucius said: “When the Superior Man eats he does not try to stuff himself; at rest he does not seek perfect comfort; he is diligent in his work and careful in speech.

Something accomplished leads to rest and reflection. True rest is not a complete stop, it is careful consideration upon what has been done. It is a natural rhythm that allows us to look upon what we have been up to and reflect upon its nature, whether we can improve, and take satisfaction in a job well done.

Rest is restorative; laziness destroys our will and our mental health. I return to my teenage self, if I may pick on him again. He wasn’t overly lazy, always had a job, played sports, but there were plenty of summer days where the “arm was too tired to lift food to the mouth.” The problems with laziness are many, but mostly because it is selfish and self destructive. After all, it’s one of the 7 Deadly sins, Sloth. What could be behind those times we are being lazy.

Like many sins, there are emotional causes behind our dysfunction. Sometimes we are lazy because we are afraid to fail, afraid to begin. We procrastinate and stare at our phones. We take naps but do what we can to avoid thinking about whats really going on with us. We may later dabble into mood altering substances, just to feel something. We could also be depressed, stuck in a past moment we don’t know how to process. Sometimes we are just stuck and don’t know where to begin. A little empathy for yourself is needed, along with a little motivation. Is this what you truly want for your life?

A journey of 1000 miles begins with a first step. When my family and I moved to Washington from Michigan, we gathered for a picture in front of our packed car, full of hope and dreams. We then set our faces to the west and drove. Twelve years later have been quite the journey since. Whether you start with a first step or a car ride or a gym membership, it begins with action. A decision you make followed by action upon the plans you make.

Laziness wants to keep us locked in one place, down and broken. The rest we keep craving we never get because we are trying to get “cheap rest”, resting without work. How much better would we all feel if we acted and worked, even the smallest first step, and then rested? It would feel earned and give the satisfaction of having done something, having created something, stimulated ourselves and the world around us.

I reflect upon rest on this Sunday at the end of 2024 and feel as though I have been in motion since 2001. There was always another goal to meet, more money to earn, more things to do before I die because we only live once after all. There was the busyness of kids which was a joy, but still busy, the kind of busy you don’t mind as much because you love them. Add that to the busyness of career, home, and relationships with a spouse and friends. It all adds up. I took Monday as my “Sabbath” and when I actually took time to rest, reflect and pray it was a life-giving time in my past.

When life throws its challenges at us, when work gets demanding, when relationships suffer is when our rest turns to escape. We don’t reflect, we hide. We don’t regenerate, we can become degenerates and just do whatever feels good to the flesh. Sitting in your room stoned isn’t rest for the soul. Being drunk in the garage isn’t rest and release, its self destructive. Chasing after sex isn’t intimacy and mutual rest, its a cheap imitation of love that only leaves regret.

Jesus taught ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ It is a well known passage echoing the rhythym of the Creation account; loving God is the first greatest command just as he was the first and greatest to “act”. Then as his creation we ought to love like he loves, do as he did. We love the creator first then his creation. Our neighbor and ourselves.

The great irony of today is that there are so many ways to please ourselves, but no one feels satisfied. We may even love God and love our neighbors, but not truly love ourselves, self care. Treating ourselves to what we truly need and not what we want in the moment. It is like being a wise parent of ourselves, knowing when we need a rest, knowing when we need food, and knowing when we have had enough.

It seems easier and right to do this for others as we are taught JOY (Jesus, Others, You). I would counter with this, if you are on an airplane and the O2 masks fall, we are instructed to put ours on before assisting others. This is for good reason because if you don’t get oxygen, then you will pass out and be useless to others. We need to treat our Temples with love and care so that we can be of service to God and others.

Playing the martyr believing ourselves righteous because we sacrifice so much for others is not what God intends for us. There was already Someone on the cross, Jesus is the only martyr we need. In order to follow Jesus, we pick up our cross and follow him. It doesn’t mean you never lay your burden back down, either. God showed us Sabbath rest, Jesus preached self care, Galatians also calls us to rest as we “bear each other’s burdens”. Martyrs like to be such because it tickles the ego, “look how good I am”. Followers of Jesus need other people in their work and rest.

Finally when we discuss rest, what are we supposed to do? What is forbidden? We have already failed if this is our approach, we must avoid legalism at all costs. Following rules for rules sake believing it is righteous is what Jesus preached against. It is better to ask, “What gets me closer to God”“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’^{[c] 38} This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.?” Or “What adds life to my body, mind, and soul?” It becomes apparent quickly when we focus upon what is good to do rather than what is bad to do.

So do your work with joy and gusto. Create, act, help, and earn. Then find yourself a quiet place, a stream in the woods, a place of worship, a song, a book, or a prayer. Find your loved ones and spend time talking and playing games. Take advantage of the life that is in front of us, because it is all temporary. Following the selfish rat race only leads to burned out regret.