You eat organic, you’ve cleared the toxins from your home, and you never miss a workout. By all modern standards, you are the picture of health. Yet, you wake up exhausted, your moods are inconsistent, and you catch every cold that passes through town.
If this sounds familiar, your lifestyle might be missing the most essential ingredient in God’s wellness plan: Rest. In our high-performance culture, rest is often viewed as a “luxury” or a sign of weakness. But in the Kingdom of Health, rest is not a reward for hard work—it is a biological and spiritual requirement for survival.
1. The Sabbath Physiology
The concept of rest didn’t start with a spa day; it started at Creation. When God instituted the Sabbath, He wasn’t just setting a religious rule; He was acknowledging a human “operating manual.”
Physiologically, our bodies operate on a rhythm of catabolism (breaking down) and anabolism (building up). Constant activity keeps us in a catabolic state. It is only during deep rest and restoration that the body enters an anabolic state—where tissues are repaired, hormones are balanced, and the brain flushes out metabolic waste.
2. The Parasympathetic Shift
Most “healthy” people spend their entire day in the Sympathetic Nervous System (Fight or Flight). Even a vigorous workout is a stressor to the body. If you never shift into the Parasympathetic Nervous System (Rest and Digest), your body remains bathed in cortisol.
Chronic cortisol elevation:
- Suppresses the immune system.
- Halts digestive enzymes (leading to gut issues).
- Prevents deep, restorative sleep.
True restoration isn’t just “not working”; it’s an intentional shift into a state of peace.
3. Sleep: The Body’s Midnight Maintenance
A Biblical approach to rest honors the night. Psalm 127:2 tells us, “It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest… for he gives to his beloved sleep.” During sleep, your body performs “cellular housecleaning.” Your glymphatic system clears toxins from your brain, and your immune system produces cytokines to fight inflammation. When we shortcut sleep to be “more productive,” we are essentially sabotaging the temple we are trying to build.
4. Mental and Spiritual Stillness
Rest is more than physical; it is mental. “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Constant digital stimulation—even if you’re reading health blogs—keeps the mind in a state of high-frequency noise.
Restoration requires “White Space”:
- Digital Detox: Turning off screens an hour before bed.
- Contemplative Silence: Spending time without a “to-do” list.
- Nature Immersion: Simply sitting in God’s creation to reset your internal clock.
Complete Your Health Equation
You cannot “hustle” your way to holistic health. Vitality is a gift that is received through balance and stewardship. If you have the nutrition and the exercise down, but you are still feeling “burned out for God,” it’s time to rediscover the power of restoration.
In The Holistic Health Handbook, we dedicate time to the essential laws of rest and how to integrate them into a busy modern life. This free mini-course from Faith College of Natural Health will help you find the rhythm of grace that your body has been longing for.
Photo by Jason Briscoe on Unsplash