The eight principles of health · 8 of 8
Rest
Rest is not laziness. God built rest into the world in the very first week, and Jesus still offers it to anyone who is tired.
- What it is
- Good sleep each night, a day of rest each week, and peace of heart.
- Why it matters
- Work and rest are a God-given rhythm, and tiredness is the body asking honestly for rest.
- Where to start
- Choose a regular bedtime and keep to it.
Key verse
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Made for rhythm
Dr Horst Müller teaches that everything in nature works in cycles. Day follows night, and work is meant to be followed by rest. He also teaches that the body tells us honestly what it needs. Hunger, thirst and tiredness are its signals, so when you are tired, your body is asking for rest.
“It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.”
Psalm 127:2 (KJV)
Sleep is a gift
Dr Mark Sandoval lists sleep among our basic needs, with air, water, food, warmth and sunshine. Like the others, we cannot make it ourselves. Our part is to prepare for it: to close our eyes and lie down. The sleep itself is given.
That is freeing. If sleep will not come, you do not have to force it. Lie quietly, rest your body, and leave the night in God's hands. He does not sleep, so you can.
“Can you create the sleep that your brain needs to prepare for in order to live? Anyone who has experienced insomnia will tell you, “No!””
“He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.”
Psalm 121:3–4 (KJV)
A good night's sleep
Go to bed and get up at about the same times each day. Keep the bedroom dark, quiet and comfortable. Put screens away for the last hour before bed, and avoid tea, coffee and cola later in the day. Try not to eat a large meal late in the evening.
If worries keep you awake, hand them to God before you sleep. It can help to write them down and leave them on the page until morning.
“When we lie down to rest, the stomach should have its work all done, that it, as well as the other organs of the body, may enjoy rest.”
“I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.”
Psalm 4:8 (KJV)
Work, then rest
Rest is sweetest after honest effort. A day with some useful work in it, and some time outdoors, usually makes for a better night. Rest and exercise are partners, not rivals.
“They may be weary, but how sweet is rest after a proper amount of labor. Sleep, nature’s sweet restorer, invigorates the weary body and prepares it for the next day’s duties.”
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:”
Ecclesiastes 3:1 (KJV)
A day of rest every week
On the seventh day of creation God rested, and He blessed that day. Jesus said the Sabbath was made for people: a gift, not a burden. Seventh-day Adventists keep it on Saturday, as a time for worship, family, nature and rest from ordinary work.
Whatever you believe, a regular day set apart from work and busyness gives body and mind a chance to recover.
“And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:”
Mark 2:27 (KJV)
Rest for the heart
Some tiredness is not mended by sleep. Jesus' invitation is to people weighed down by worry, grief or guilt, and the rest He offers goes deeper than the body. Even He took His friends away to rest when life was too busy.
Ellen G. White wrote that everyone needs a quiet hour: time alone, away from the noise, to think, to look at the world God made, and to pray.
“All who are under the training of God need the quiet hour for communion with their own hearts, with nature, and with God.”
“And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.”
Mark 6:31 (KJV)
Something to try this week
- Choose a regular bedtime and keep to it this week.
- Put away the phone and turn off the television an hour before bed.
- Have your evening meal early, and keep it light.
- Set aside one day for rest, worship and time with people you love.
- Find a quiet half hour, outdoors if you can, just to sit and be still.
- If you often sleep badly, talk with your doctor.
“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.”
Psalm 23:2–3 (KJV)
These pages are general health education, not medical advice. Everyone is different, so if you have a health concern, or you are thinking about a big change, please talk with your doctor first.
Where these words come from
Every Bible verse on this page is from the King James Version, quoted word for word, so you can look each one up for yourself. The other quotations are copied exactly from these books, with the page they are on:
- Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing Read free in our health library
- Ellen G. White, Counsels on Health Read free in our health library
- Dr Mark Sandoval, The Law of Life Read the first chapter free
Keep reading
The eight principles, in order. Choose any one to read next.