Refuel: Faith-Building Pit-Stops On Your Road TripSample

A LI’L SUSHI

As the March 11, 2011 triple tragedy in Japan filled the news and the net, I got free access to a whole lot’a Japanese. While browsing through some articles, one Japanese word caught my attention, karoshi. Though it sure sounds delicious, it is not food. It’s “death by overwork.”

Shocker, huh? We’ve heard of engines over-heating, batteries draining, computers crashing and robots bogging down. But humans dying because of overwork? You have got to be kidding me! I mean, is that even legal?

Well, sad to say, karoshi is not fiction. For the third largest economy in the world, karoshi is a bitter fact. In a world where significance is based on results, an over-desire to produce more can lead to an-out-of-control obsession to work — forgetting life, neglecting family, and seeing rest as a sin. Physical bodies abused and brains overused because of work. No rest and recreation. Little sleep, skipped meals, and zero breaks. All these and more lead to self-inflicted slavery that eventually leads to the end, A.K.A. death.

The solution is this: ikiyasume — “rest” in Japanese. One step back and two steps forward. It’s a time for the lumberjack to sharpen his axe, a moment for the chef to hone his knife. Rest is good. Time-outs are beneficial.

Amazingly, even God rested, as told in the book of Genesis at the story of creation.

Check it out . . . God rested! Did He need it? I don’t think so. Did He feel tired and weak? Of course not. So why did He rest?

Hear me out. God rested not because He ran out of strength. Don’t forget, He is God; He is not human. Unlike us, He never runs out of power. He doesn’t even need sleep or food. But still, He rested. God intentionally stopped in His work to enjoy all that He had made. And I believe that this is something He also intends for us to do — to enjoy the fruits of our work and His work. Find pleasure in nature. Relish all His blessings in our lives. Take time-out to enjoy God and being in His presence.

Jesus also took breaks. He often withdrew from people in order to spend time alone with His Father.

Here’s what I’m driving at: You need rest! Learn to press the pause button and recollect. For no matter how strong we are, we all still have limits. The key to not getting burned out is by taking a breather. And while you’re at it, take it as an opportunity to do these too:

• Loosen up! Remind yourself that you are you, and you’re not God — that you can’t be in control all the time.
• Let go and let God! Pushing too hard might mean you’re taking Him out of the picture.
• Examine your life. “The unexamined life is not worth living.”17 Visit your life-map. What have you accomplished so far? Where are you going?
• Sleep well and eat well. Even the greatest men in the Bible ate and slept.

So if you feel that God is speaking to you today powerfully about having a break, I suggest you obey. As you do this, you’ll discover that after your time-out, you’ve become wiser and stronger . . . ready again to get it on with life.

Go! Retreat! Recollect! Rest! Get your bearings back by taking a pill of refreshing. And while you’re at it, I suggest you get a li’l sushi.