Brent Greene, Minister of Spiritual Growth for Children and Adults at First Winston-Salem, NC, shares the following thoughts.
Many of us have heard of the spiritual disciplines of prayer, Scripture meditation, and fasting, But what about the discipline of rest and sleep? This particular discipline
might sound more like laziness to some, but for many American Christians the discipline or gift of sleep is one that is sorely missed.
One of the greatest threats to good health and spiritual transformation is exhaustion. Most Americans likely get less sleep than they need. Dr. Stang-Yang Tan explains that in the 1850s some research indicates that American adults slept 9.5 hours per night. By 1950 the number of hours dropped to 8 hours per night. Today, research indicates
that many adults in the United States are getting less than seven hours of sleep!
What does God desire for us? Old and New Testament Scriptures describe rest and sleep in different ways and in different contexts. From the beginning in Genesis,
one can read in Genesis 2 that God rested and made the Sabbath a holy day. From Elijah to the Psalms, passages describe “lying down and souls being restored.” It seems
that finding rest and taking time to sleep is not only a natural, bodily necessity; but, rest is an essential part of renewal for each person in every way … mind, body, and
spirit. We all know that well-rested children are much easier to manage and are much happier. Likewise, well-rested adults have longer fuses and sweeter dispositions.
During the summer of 2011, consider establishing some new sleep goals to improve your health and your spiritual formation. Try the following tips given by James Bryan
Smith…
Go to sleep at a consistent time each night.
Cut back on stressful activities before bed.
Cut out stimulants like caffeine and spicy foods.
Keep a notebook or journal by your bed to write down thoughts before bed time.
Make your bedroom a spiritual retreat of rest and comfort.
Take time to rest, honor God in your rest! Allow God time to honor you, refresh you, transform you!
Join me at the Spiritual Formation Retreat, June 20-22 in Tampa prior to the General Assembly! Chris Webb, president of Renovaré, and I are leading. Learn more and register online