The Ultimate Prescription by James L. Marcum & Charles Mills

Author:James L. Marcum & Charles Mills
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: HEALTH & FITNESS / Healthy Living
ISBN: 9781414372655
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
Published: 2012-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

13

Day 7—Healing Rest

On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.

—Genesis 2:2-3

At the end of a long day’s work, American cowboys liked nothing better than to kick off their boots and sit by a crackling fire, eager to savor the coming night’s rest. On the seventh day of Creation week, God invited us to do the same. It’s part of His amazing Health Plan.

The word rest in Genesis 2:2 also means “to cease” or “to stop doing what one has been doing.” So, in essence, on the seventh day, God stopped the creative work he had been doing. Today, Christians know that day as the “Sabbath,” or “day of rest.”

Generations after Creation, from the summit of Mount Sinai, God reminded the children of Israel just how He wanted the holy day observed. Listen to His words as recorded in Exodus 20, starting with verse 8. “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. . . . For in six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy” (Exodus 20:8-11).

I don’t know how you feel about this, but it seems to me God is demonstrating a genuine concern about how we spend our Sabbath hours—how we “keep” the Sabbath. By using the word “remember,” He indicates this was part of the original Health Plan, which could easily be forgotten. Resting is not often equated with a change in the body’s chemistry or even with a treatment for ailments. But resting is required for the maintenance of the entire system. As I tell my patients, we get better gas mileage when we drive at fifty rather than at eighty miles an hour. At the end of Creation week, God was concerned for our future health.

Today, scientists are discovering an interesting fact. Rest—or ceasing from our labors—is not only good for our minds but also good for our bodies.

In our fast-paced, exhausting lives, insomnia is running rampant. People are gulping down millions of sedatives and tranquilizers, desperate for the rest that can restore their energy. Those who take no break from the daily grind suffer increased bouts of infections and are often depressed. They become irritable, lose their tempers more often, and can find even the simplest tasks overwhelming. When our minds and bodies do not get sufficient rest, burnout waits just around the corner. Being sleep or rest deprived turns on the stress cascade we have mentioned, which is not a good thing over the long haul.

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