About 3 years ago the authors of this blog were absolutely wiped out! Exhausted, both mentally and physically. Running on fumes, spent, drained, dragging, and any other verb you want to throw in there. Then we were introduced to RhythminTwenty. A journey to help men find rhythm and balance in their lives. It has been such a huge blessing for the both of us. It has taught us to be more aware of the 5 following traps that wipe us out:
#5.-You Never Take a Sabbath: Too often people take this as an Old Testament command and neglect it. If it was important enough for the Creator of the Universe it should be highly important to us a well. God didn’t need to rest on the 7th day, but He did so that He might leave us an example to follow. One of my good friends works as a Manager for Chic-Fil-A here in Kansas City, an organization that was considered stupid for shutting their doors on Sundays, but as one of the leading chains in America those critics have been silenced. A great example that rest can actually multiply productivity. It’s amazing what happens when we actually listen to God’s commands.
#4-Your Eating Habits: How and when you eat has a huge effect on how you feel. Food is the bodies fuel. If we constantly fill ourselves with junk food and pop (or soda if you’re from the Midwest) we won’t feel that great. And the energy we feel from the sugar we put in our body will only last a short time, and eventually we will feel even more wiped out once the crash kicks in. If you are interested in sustained nutrition and energy you might want to check out this link: SPARK.
#3-Lack of Sleep-I often tell my Basketball team that a lack of sleep is really from lack of discipline. Now I fully understand that some people struggle with sleeping disorders, so I’m not referring to those cases. I am referring to people who dilly dally on the computer, phone, and video games into all hours of the night. Some of you stay up late and get up early trying to be more productive, and perhaps this will work for a short season in your life, but according to research this will eventually catch up to you and your health. Sleep is a gift from God, one that He encourages us to appreciate and enjoy. However, like any gift, don’t abuse it and become lazy. Here is a chart that suggests how many hours of sleep you should be getting to prevent being wiped-out.
#2-Worry/Stress-A friend of mine once said that worrying is temporary atheism. Not only is stress a sign that we’re relying on ourselves and not God, but it is proven to emotional and physically wipe us out. Stress prevents your body from ever being able to relax or rest. If we are not careful worrying can consume our lives. Some of us can’t even enjoy movies because of how much we stress, sure we watch them, but the whole time we’re only thinking of everything we need to get done so we really never enjoy it. Jesus was very clear on being anxious, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
(Matthew 6:25-27 ESV)
#1-You’re Self Reliant-You’re a control freak. You hate delegating because you want things done your way. You depend on yourself to get things done, and even worse you never take time to escape and sit at His feet to rely on Him, and not yourself. Ships were meant to sail, but if they never come into the harbor they will eventually be shipwrecked or wiped-out. I personally believe this is the number one reason people are wiped out. They try to do everything themselves. They take no solitude, they fail to seek Him and His strength, and they never escape to the Harbor. Remember that the Titanic was unsinkable and built by professionals. The ark was built by an amateur who sat at God’s feet. Stop relying on your own efforts. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
(Matthew 11:28-30 ESV)
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