Beech Tree News Network

Recently, I’ve been thinking about my body’s need for rest in relation to God’s command to rest and to keep the Sabbath. Jesus said (Matthew 11:28), “Come to me…, and I will give you rest.” Having lived for several decades, I am in awe of the wisdom behind God’s desire for people to rest and the importance He placed on it.

Does the Bible really say we should rest? Yes, it does. Genesis 2:2 is the first mention of a day of rest: “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work (NIV). The Ten Commandments also teach us to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy, working for six days but resting on the seventh (Exodus 20:8-11). Then in the New Testament, Hebrews 4:4, 9-11, Christians are again reminded to rest on the Sabbath. Hebrews 4:10 says, “…for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his.” Rest is important.

Am I supposed to sleep on the Sabbath? In my opinion a nap is great, but other types of rest are also good for us. For example, in an American Psychological Association article (May 6, 2025), Ashley Abramson identified seven types of rest, including physical, mental, emotional, social, sensory, creative, and spiritual. As sleep is just one part of refueling our energy, I believe feeling rested includes those other six areas Abramson mentioned.

Is worship or church a part of resting? In my experience, worship or attending church is definitely a part of resting the mind and spirit. Genesis 2:3 (NIV) says, “And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done,” and Exodus 20:8 (NIV) says, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” Charles Stanley wrote: “Our heavenly Father desires to preserve among men a knowledge of Himself.”  Mark 2:27 (NIV) recorded: “Then he said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.’”

Alex Pang commented: “If you want rest, you have to take it.” Certainly, the body needs rest: we all need physical, mental, and spiritual rest. And on occasion, I have needed social or sensory rest. We should give the body, mind and spirit the grace to rest – on Sunday or another day.