Rest With Purpose
Work is never done, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t rest. In fact, the busier we get, and the more demands there are, the more we need to pause and rest in the fact that the work is ultimately God’s, and the world can go on without us for a day.
I take each Friday as my sabbath. It’s a discipline because there’s always more work to do. But it’s also a joy because I get to stop and enjoy God and his gifts for a day independent of what’s left on the to-do list.
Phil Caravaggio, CEO of Precision Nutrition, had a good series of tweets the other day that helped me think about how to rest. (I’ve found that pastors are sometimes the worst at knowing how to do this.) Here they are. They don’t say everything that needs to be said, but I found them helpful. I hope they help you prepare for your next Sabbath, and I hope that’s soon.
The whole concept of rest has to change in knowledge work. We have to rest with purpose — more purpose even than we bring to work.
— Phil Caravaggio (@philcaravaggio) March 4, 2014
These days, I plan my rest intentionally. I have 5 basic criteria for what makes for good rest.
— Phil Caravaggio (@philcaravaggio) March 4, 2014
He then lists them:
- Physically vitality & restoration. E.g., going snowboarding or bouldering; getting a massage, etc.
- Connectedness & lasting moments with loved ones. E.g., making a big dinner for friends and family.
- Disconnection from work and “striving.” No email, business reading, social media, etc.
- Immersion in excellence. I love just seeing awesome stuff for inspiration. Art, literature, film, especially architecture.
- Engage non-work passions and interests. I’ll read about carpentry, tune my snowboard, play my guitar, etc.
He concludes:
If you do knowledge work (as you must, these days), worth seriously considering how you rest.
— Phil Caravaggio (@philcaravaggio) March 4, 2014
Good advice!
