“It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep” (Ps. 127:2, ESV).

Have you ever thought about why God created human beings in such a way that we need to sleep for one-third of our lives? We try to compensate for exhaustion with caffeine and energy drinks, but the way our bodies were designed to function best is with a full night of sleep.

In a culture that tells us to rest from a place of work, God tells us to work from a place of rest. This is not laziness; it is humility.

In seasons of stress and high workload, sleep is the first sacrifice many of us make in order to get the job done. Staying up late into the night, dozing off for an hour or two, and going back to work the next day, we drag our bodies through mud just to finish the task.

There is nothing wrong with diligence or hard labor. These qualities are actually celebrated throughout Scripture. Many times, though, our 12-hour workdays are driven by anxiety, control, and selfish ambition.

Choosing to rest, even if there is unfinished work, is a wonderful way of humbling yourself before the Lord. It is trusting that God will provide the means and energy to finish what needs to be done, when it needs to be done.

Today, honestly evaluate your life. Is it marked by anxious toil? There is always plenty of work to do. Choose to rest. God gives to His beloved sleep.