When I was in high school, I spent my summers as a hired hand on a farm ranch in southeast Idaho. The ranch property was in a small valley in the mountains. Most of my days were spent moving cattle from one area to another, fixing many miles of fence, or planting, cultivating, and harvesting crops in the fields. 

Every couple weeks I could take an afternoon to load up salt blocks for the cows and ride a horse along the trails through the forests to the various salt licks. I would ride slowly along the pine-shaded trails. Just me, a horse, and God's beautiful creation.

Sometimes I was able to time this task so I could stop at the clearing where the original homestead house was built. I would sit for a while in the shade of a tree looking down the valley, across the river to the amazing Teton Peaks, wondering what life had been like for the family who built the house there.

These moments restored my body, mind, and soul.

These moments were REST.

Some believe “rest” is a four-letter word and the antithesis of work. Time spent not working is time wasted. However, this is far from the truth.

Rest is the partner of effective work.

God rested after the work of creation, and we are created in his image. Therefore, we need rest to be effective.

Here are 3 reasons why rest is vital:

1. Rest restores your whole self. Thankfully, there are many ways to rest. For me, rest can look like a dinner with good friends, reading a good book just for fun, taking a 20-minute nap in the middle of a workday (trust me, this is amazing!), tending to my flower beds, or meditating on a passage of scripture (the psalms are a great choice). We need to rest in many ways to restore ourselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

2. Rest reprioritizes life. Rest must be intentional. You must plan for rest. Look at your calendar for the next two weeks. Is it full of work and no time scheduled for rest? Plan for rest. Make time in your schedule for rest and be diligent not to skip over it because you have so much to do!

3. Rest fuels your work. Rest will make you more effective. But maybe, even more importantly, rest will lead you towards the full, abundant life that Jesus promised (John 10:10).

My encouragement to you is to stop what you are doing and get some rest. You need it!

About the Author: Mike is the IDEAS Director of Sector Advocacy and Business Sector Advocate. He has over 30 years business experience, primarily IT related, with experience in financial reporting and business process improvement. Enjoy other blogs by Mike, such as 3 Reasons to Invest in Locally-Owned, Sustainable Work.