Rest Is Spiritual

There are all kinds of side effects to our busy and technological life. Let’s talk about the Sabbath, rest, and silence.

With the pervasive influence of social media comparisons, the gaming role-play world, the fantasy of AI, online image and body shame marketing, the competitive nature of educational scholarships, and the spiritual vacuum of a generation, we have seen a decrease of mental health and purpose, and, a rise in depression and ultimately suicide in the Gen Z set.

There are many other triggers of course.

But, these prevailing issues are at the center of the destruction of teenage mental health, self-esteem, and purpose. I believe strongly that the lack of rest is another factor in unhealthy teenagers. Do you know that rest is actually very spiritual.

How do we counter the overwork and restlessness that causes depression in this generation?

There are many troubling signs that develop from a lack of sabbaoth, rest, and silence. Here are a few of them:

• Poor academic performance in school

• Withdrawal from family, friends, and activities

• Sadness and hopelessness

• Lack of enthusiasm, energy, or motivation

• Anger and rage and aggressiveness

• Overreaction to criticism

• Feelings of being unable to satisfy expectations or ideals

• Poor self-esteem, cutting, or bodily harm

• Indecision or lack of concentration and forgetfulness

• Changes in eating or sleeping or behavioral patterns

• Substance abuse

• Organ dysfunction

• Problems with the family, or community, or authority

• And ultimately suicidal thoughts or actions

These should be the best days of a teenager’s life.

Yet, dealing with the results of restlessness and a lack of purpose and ultimately depression in teenagers can be difficult because young people haven’t developed their brain and necessary critical thinking skills.

A teens perspective is a powerful solution to any situation they may be in. Young people can become buried under a mole hill if they are not careful to do critical thinking.

To understand that perspective can lessen the effect of the problems in their life. It can be easy to minimize God and maximize our problems. But, we must help teens maximize God and minimize their problems.

Here’s an easy illustration.

If my hand represents my problem and I place my hand in front of my face I will not be able to see anything. What I have to do is put that problem or hand in perspective and move it away from my face so that I can see.

That is called perspective. Making sure that we do not focus on our problems, but, that we focus on the solutions.

The Sabbaoth

The sabbath has been lost in America.

When is the last time you rested for a day? Can you remember when you last took a nap? Or spent an hour doing nothing. Stop equating busyness with spirituality. Christianity is more about grace and rest than it is about works.

The sabbaoth is a commandment in Exodus chapter 20! God didn’t give us a suggestion. He gave us a command that we would rest. Faith and rest will be a great cure for the stresses that can cause restlessness and depression.

There are so many scriptures on sabbaoth, silence, and rest in the Bible. Did you know that in the Old Testament the people were required to rest their land from sowing crops every 7 years? What a significant commitment to the health of their land.

Here are just a few powerful verses on sabbaoth, rest, and silence:

Genesis 2:2-3, “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so, on the seventh day He rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”

Exodus 20:8-10, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but, the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work…”

Psalm 4:4, 8, “Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah. In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell securely.”

Matthew 11:28, “Come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest.’

Mark 3:1, “Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’”

Hebrews 4:9, “…So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.”

Sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is rest.

Sleep

Much of the body’s healing work takes place while you sleep. Without the need to attend to all of the functions of daily life, your immune system and organs of detoxification can focus attention on cleansing and restoration.

This is the time when your body does major house-cleaning, taking care of wastes that have accumulated during the day and repairing cellular damage.

Cultivate the habit of going to bed early as a teenager. That will look different depending on the day, but, before 10 pm is best. It is generally recommended that teenagers get 8-9 hours of sleep each evening. Overriding this desire for sleep interferes with the natural rhythm of cleansing, brain function, and internal organ recreation.

Here are some practical ways to get the most out of your sleep:

• For the most restful and restorative sleep, make sure that your sleeping environment is not stale. Keep your room ventilated by running a fan to provide plenty of fresh air.

• Avoid eating for at least two hours before sleeping. This ensures that your body’s energy can be used for healing and rejuvenation instead of for digestion.

• If you do want to eat something before bed, a piece of fruit is a good choice. Fruit is cleansing and is quickly digested.

• Depending on the person, getting some physical exercise before bed is a great way to detox and to wind down

• A hot shower works for me every night

• Organize your thoughts and activities in a journal for the following day before you go to bed. This will help you rest your mind.

• For some people, music is a great relaxation option

• Try a noise cancellation app or machine if you need background noise to sleep well

• And don’t forget, prayer and devotions in bed is a great way to fall asleep! I’m joking partly.

Finally

What does this look like in a practical sense?

We can talk about how nutrition and exercise will impact your sabbaoth and rest. You can eat well. We can go to the gym, or go for a walk, or buy a bike, or get exercise in other various ways.

Each of these are tremendous benefits to our physical health and help us rest more easily. But, I want to speak about another wellness area.

Play

The benefits of play have more to do with wellness than we think.

We have seen a lack of play growing in our culture here in the west. A play deprivation can be the cause of many things.

It could be that we are too busy or that we are too lazy. It could be that we do not value play and so we see it as a 'childish' effort.

Whatever the cause, there are serious signs to a lack of play, including, anger, loss of creativity, loss of confidence, health issues, exploration, and even social awkwardness.

Thinking about these things should stir your interest in play activities, and, in turn, result in greater mental and physical health.

A 'Play Deprivation' Test

Ask yourself these important play questions:

1. When is the last time you played with an object? (ball, squeeze toy, or other object)

2. How do you relieve tension or stress from your life?

3. When is the last time you sweat from an activity?

4. What is the last memory, conversation, or circumstance that caused you to laugh out of control?

Give an answer to the following questions by stating ‘Daily’, ‘Weekly’, or ‘Monthly’:

1. How often do you run?

2. How often do you jump?

3. How often do you laugh?

4. How often do you make up a game in your mind?

The answers to these questions can be revealing. They are windows into our heart and mind.