Mornings have always been hard for me. I wake up one brain cell at a time.
I’ve learned if I can start the day off right it will set the tone for how the rest of the day hums along. The last few weeks I’ve been trying to be more efficient with the first hours of each day. In order to gain some motivation for making the wise use of the AM hours, I had to look to the scriptures for some instruction and inspiration.
One passage that caught me off guard was Proverbs 24:33 where it says, “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.” This warning, in its poetic yet sarcastic tone, cautions against finding too much comfort in rest. We are not to be lazy – or a “sluggard” – to ensure that we are not robbed of our valuable possessions (one of which is our time).
But I am not saying we should not enjoy good rest. I believe rest is a gift from God that was not only commanded by Him but was also modeled by Him. We need to rest; it keeps our bodies and our souls in good health. While the passage above advises against laziness, other passages warn against not resting enough, like this one:
Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain… 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 127:1-2)
We can’t get up early and stay up late working to build something that takes our dependence off of God. The second verse of Psalm 127 reminds us that God gives sleep to his beloved children. How sweet to know that the Lord even give the good gift of sleep!
So we must always be at war with our own laziness, ensuring that we are using every moment for its greatest potential. At the same time, we must trust that God will give us good rest if we are working towards His purposes for His glory.
Evaluate your use of time. Take a moment and look over your calendar for this week; did you rise early and work late but never rest in the good sleep God provides to those He loves? If so, then plan ahead next week to ensure that you are balanced between work and rest.
Or, as you look back over the last 5 days, do you see where you were lazy – perhaps folding your hands and having a little ‘slumber’ only to have precious moments stolen from you? Set some goals and disciplines in your life for the next week that will set you up to use your time more wisely.
Are you a morning or night person? How do you ensure you are balancing well between work and rest?
