My sister emailed me a devotional from a writer she enjoys. It was about needing rest. She used the analogy of needing to refuel her gas tank, and rest is a way for her to do that. I’m a big proponent of rest. God rested, and so should we. People need rest. Land needs rest. The world needs rest. It’s super important.
As I began to respond to my sister, I thanked her for sharing the particularly good message but found myself telling her that it doesn’t feel like rest is the fill-up I need. I need an oil change, a top-off of washer fluid, some wipers, some antifreeze, maybe my tires rotated, and probably one of those little deodorizers hung from my mirror. That might pull me out of the funk that I’ve found myself in my lately.
Am I alone here? I feel like sufficient rest isn’t exactly my problem. That is often the solution we throw out when we can’t figure out what might be wrong. Ah, I probably need some rest. Sometimes it’s totally the answer, but not always. It takes more than filling a gas tank to keep a car running, and it takes more than rest to keep people functioning properly.
Much is said and written about rest, and rightfully so. I’ve written some of it myself. I’ve also written about the need to fill ourselves back up because we can’t pour from an empty cup. These are incredibly important to our overall health (I mean physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual), but we’re more complex than that. There are lots of components of self-maintenance needed to keep us running effectively.
We need rest, a proper diet, good relationships, and fulfilling purposes to name a few things. We need a solid spiritual life and relationship with our Maker. That said, we need these key pieces to be in some balance. If my battery is dead, it doesn’t matter if my tank is full.
I’ve been trying to sort out why my alignment has been off these last few weeks. A conversation with a friend recently helped me bring it a little more info focus, and the gas tank analogy drove it home. We humans need some light-hearted fun just as much as we need rest and purpose. I believe that many of us coming through the collectively difficult time of a pandemic coupled with our own individual struggles, are finding ourselves out of balance.
We need some cheerfulness. We need some frivolity and fun.
I hesitate to use the word joy. I think that’s a deeper experience. I have joy in my heart but still hold the tension of being sad for a loss of normal and tired from sustained mental and emotional stress. What we need is a little bit of fun.
Solomon, in his wisdom, said in Proverbs 17:22, that a cheerful heart is like medicine. A couple chapters earlier (15:30) he says good news refreshes the bones. God wants us to laugh and find enjoyment in life. It’s okay to laugh and seek good things. Friends, we need to make it a priority to lighten up. And I’m sitting squarely on the top of that heap. I need to lighten up and find some ways to laugh and fill up that tank.
Hear me now – I am not saying to chuck all responsibility and give back your grownup card, nor am I saying to stop caring and indulge in sinful behavior.
I am saying laugh. I am saying having lunch with a friend. I am saying enjoy your kids or grandkids being silly. I am saying go on a date with your spouse. I am saying take a day off and do some things that make your heart happy. Watch a movie that gives you the good feels. Get the puppy. Take the trip. Play the game. Have a dance party in your kitchen. Take a walk. Eat a decadent dessert – better yet, share it with someone you love. Do something fun. If you’re like me and struggle to know what is fun anymore, get to looking. Figure it out.
All the rest in the world won’t help if laughter is what we need. Allow me to prescribe you some today. Make it a point to find some ways to cheer up your heart. In the Beatitudes, Jesus said, “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh,” (Luke 6:21, NKJV).
Friends, we have been weeping and mourning for a sustained stretch. It’s perfectly okay to find some time to laugh and cheer up your heart. In fact, if you want peak performance, it’s crucial.
Photo: Antonino Visalli/Unsplash
