March 15 Permission to Pause

 Theme: Embracing rest without guilt.

Dacia Chambers
Shepherdess CIC
Savannah SDA Church

We are living in a world where rest; spiritual, physical and emotional, seems a distant reality. We struggle to embrace lunch hour, we find it difficult to embrace weekly rest; the Sabbath, and some may go as far as to forego their yearly vacation for various reasons. Some people think that if they slow down, the world will leave them behind: leaving them burdened with guilt.

I too, have fallen into the trap of getting things done now, rest-later mentality, and I have seen where it does more harm than good to my very own body, it is in the moment of lack of rest I am more irritable, I have more headaches and just overall fatigue.  I am sure you too can relate.

 As a health care worker, I have seen countless patients who admit that had they listened to their bodies sooner, diseases such as heart attack and stroke could have been prevented.

The Price of Success

A story is told of Daniel Grant who was a man of ambition. From the moment he graduated top of his class, he had one goal—build an empire. And he did! Grant Enterprises became a towering success in the corporate world, expanding across industries and raking in millions. But behind the power suits and flashing cameras was a man who never slept.

Five hours of sleep was a luxury; coffee was his fuel. Meetings, calls, deals—Daniel thrived on the rush. His assistant, Claire, often begged him to take a break. "Sir, you're pushing too hard," she’d say. "Just a weekend off." "I’ll rest when I’m done," he always replied.

One evening, after a 16-hour workday, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He brushed it off as stress. But as he stood to leave the office, dizziness overwhelmed him. The room spun. His breath came in gasps. Then—darkness.

The next morning, the headlines read: "Business Tycoon Daniel Grant Dies of Heart Failure at 42."The world mourned a visionary, but in the end, his empire thrived—without him. And his fortune? Left behind for others to enjoy. 

This story, although fictitious, it is the reality of many, the Bible cautions:  “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,  but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matt 6: 19-21. We simply cannot and will never have it all. Therefore, if we are to truly enjoy a balanced life we must accept our inadequacies as mortal men and remain totally dependent on our omniscient, omnipresent and Omnipotent God, It is only then, we will be able to rest without guilt.

Embrace rest

There are myriad of things to keep us busy, from the very young to the very old are affected by lack of rest. Whether it’s spending long hours on gadgets, social media, academia or the job that puts food on the table, you can break free from the bondage of these demanding life-sucking venoms.

 You may be struggling with the guilt of resting daily, weekly or otherwise. It is not too late to reshuffle your itinerary. The common cliché; "Life is short" is a compact, yet profound statement. It should help to put things into perspective. Stop! and smell the roses. We do not know when our time on earth will come to an end. Therefore, it is critical that we embrace rest without guilt, knowing that Christ will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory ( Phil 4:19).

Prayer

Lord, please forgive me for not resting as I should. Help me to manage my time and my talents for your glory. Help me to embrace physical rest without guilt. Help me to accept my limitations, to seek first the Kingdom of God and to turn my eyes upon you, so the things of this world can go dim as we stand in your presence. Thank you, Jesus, for the permission to pause. Grant us freedom from guilt as we embrace the rest that you have designed for us. In Jesus’ name. Amen