Rule of Life | Body & Rest
God created humans as whole, complex, and integrated beings with a body and a soul. God became man with a body, broken, buried, and risen once more for our earthly and eternal life with him. Your body is where God’s Spirit dwells. There is much to be said about the body. One important component of how we care for our bodies is through rest. In Genesis 2, we see that as God creates, he rests. When his work is finished, he rests, blessing the Sabbath (rest) and declaring it holy (set apart). And as his people, we are called to follow his example to work and to rest. Reflect on your reality. How does the way you work and live reveal how you view rest and its place in your life? Think about the person you are when you are not rested, and set that person besides the person you are when you are rested. Who is more like Jesus?
• Discover: Before filling out the Body/Rest arena, read Psalm 139:13-14 and Psalm 23. What is challenging for you as you acknowledge your body as a marvelous workmanship of the Creator God?
• Do: What are you currently practicing to steward your body to be healthy, whole, and rested? How are you practicing rest on a frequent basis? Here is a recommendation on where to start: Commit to sleep a consistent number of hours every night and find an enjoyable movement practice, whether it’s a daily evening walk or a weekly hike, and grow from there!
Here is a list of “Body” Practices to explore: sleep, regular exercise, healthy relationships with food and water, walking, annual doctor’s visits, enough sunshine, breath prayer, etc.
Here is a list of “Rest” Practices to explore: Daily quiet time, a yearly retreat, weekly Sabbath, enjoying nature, spending intentional time with close friends and family, etc.
• Share: As you practice, be in a rhythm of learning and debriefing with God and others about your experience using the following questions or prompts:
What is a story of encountering God from this past week’s Body or Rest practices?
What did you notice happening in you as you practiced stewarding your body with God?
What was challenging, surprising, and/or life-giving?
Where did you most experience God with you?
Pro Tip: When we prioritize care and rest for the body God gave us to use, we are better equipped to show up well for ourselves and the people around us!