We have looked at two misconceptions of good time management over the last two posts. Today I want to share a third misconception:

If I rest or take time off, I’m wasting time.

Many of us struggle with this mentality. We think, I can’t take any time off or do something just for fun. I’ve got too much to do. If I rest, I’m not being productive.

To the contrary, we need to have some down time to re-energize, to be refreshed. In Mark 6, Jesus sent out the disciples in pairs to do ministry. When they returned to Jesus and reported everything they had seen and done, He didn’t say, “Great! Now, here’s your next job. Get busy and go do it! Time’s a wasting.”  He said, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.”

Jesus withdrew from the busyness of life and people, and so should we. Rest is important for us to be able to do all that God has given us to do. Sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is rest. Taking time off is not unspiritual. In fact, the lack of doing so may be the most unspiritual thing we can do with our time.

Psalm 127:2 says, “It is vain for you to rise up early, to retire late, to eat the bread of painful labors.” Solomon is teaching us in this verse that it is vanity to think we can get ahead by working long hours without rest. We are not to live like machines.

Walking in God’s will means that we make our hours count; not that we work long hours.

Are you resting or are you pushing yourself to the brink of exhaustion? Do you have time scheduled for rest and relaxation? If you don’t, you will eventually burn out.

I’d love to hear any tips from you on how you schedule rest and relaxation. What works for you?

Next time we will look at some practical how-to’s of time management.