#10: One of the Great Metaphors
The Rest of Life
This is the tenth in a series of the 12 greatest metaphors for life.
The breath of life: a person can live three minutes without air.
The shelter of life: in harsh climes a person can live 3 hours without shelter.
The water of life: a normal person can live three days without water.
The bread of life: the average person can live about three weeks without food.
The light of life: if the sun were to stop giving its light, global temperatures would drop, plants would die, trees would vanish, and all life would cease to exist.
The tree of life: without trees, we would have little fruit to provide our bodies with the antioxidants we so desperately need. In addition, trees provide beauty and shade, as well as leaves which provide healing substances.
The True Vine of life: up to this time, we have looked at the necessities of physical life. The vine of life represents something deeper: abundant life.
The oil of life: the olive tree was once a primary source of oil for food and light.
The spice of life: spice provides flavor for bland food, healing for sick bodies, and fragrance for perfumes.
The rest of life: after three days of no sleep, the average person begins to hallucinate. Sleep is such a fundamental part of life that we just cannot live without it. We need downtime to regenerate, recuperate, and revitalize the human flesh God has given us. Even Jesus, very God, had to rest when He walked among us.
The Rest of Life
When a baby is born, it needs 16-18 hours of sleep to grow and develop. As the child ages, the amount of sleep it needs diminishes, but the need for sleep never goes away completely.
Human beings must have regular intervals of rest. This is by God's design. We are not eternal, nor self-rejuvenating. We are not the Energizer Bunny: we don't keep going and going (without rest). Adults need around eight hours of sleep each night to thrive. In addition, we need one day of rest in seven. This is what God has designed from the beginning. It is a gift from God that refreshes and restores the body. Without this rest, we will not function at our full capacity.
Many conditions are associated with and caused by lack of sleep or rest: [1]
sickness
heart problems
increased risk of cancer
impaired cognitive reasoning
increased forgetfulness
impaired libido
weight gain
difficulty losing weight
increased risk for diabetes
clumsiness
appearance suffers
Read more about the importance of rest here.
Physical rest in very important, but the Scriptures talk of a greater rest -- a rest greater than sleep and a rest greater than the Sabbath.
Jesus spoke of this rest while He walked upon the earth: "Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). This rest spoke of a temporal, spiritual rest available to those who would trust in Christ's abundant provision for salvation and daily needs. But it also looked forward to a greater rest -- that of eternal life (Hebrews 4:9). It is then that we will rest from all our labors (under the Sun).
Jesus provides eternal rest for our souls. In heaven, there will be no more sickness and death, no heart problems or health concerns, no impaired cognitive functions, weight gain, or clumsiness. We will be sated with rest and delighted by a God who truly cares.
Go to Him today for rest. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. He cares intimately about each of His children. And He truly knows, like no one else, what is good for us.
Further Application
If God uses rest as a picture for eternity, rest must be important. We should be sure to get the kind of rest we need. Are you struggling to get the sleep you need? Read this first post in a series on rest. If you read all the posts in the series, it will give you insight how to get the rest you need in this earth that God created.
What a lovely God we serve.
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[1] http://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sleep/what-happens-to-your-body-when-you-lose-sleep#5