“Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. 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.” (Psalm 127:1–2, ESV)
In Psalm 127 it says that God gives his beloved sleep! I like sleep. I imagine you do as well. Rest does wonderful things for the body and mind.
But do you ever have trouble sleeping at night? I am blessed that I can lay my head down on a pillow and be to sleep in minutes, sometimes seconds. However, every so often there will be a night where I cannot fall asleep. I will toss, and I will turn. I will be as tired as can be, but unable to sleep.
Usually, when I cannot sleep, there is something on my mind that is causing worry or anxiety. It prevents me from sleeping. My mind is racing and cannot quiet down.
There is an intimate tie between our physical well-being and our spiritual well-being. Underlying spiritual conditions are often manifested through physical conditions. When my soul is not at rest, my body will have a hard time finding rest. Said another way – I will have a hard time sleeping when I am not right with God.
Jesus says:
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:29, ESV)
Did you catch that? You will find rest for your soul.
There may be no better indicator about the health of our relationship with Jesus, than our ability to sleep. He brings peace into our lives. He brings release from anxiety and fear. The world around me may be collapsing, but I can lay my head down knowing God is in control and my life is in his hands.
There is a story about how Jesus and his disciples were caught in a great storm on the Sea of Galilee. As the boat is taking on water, Jesus is asleep. How could he sleep at that moment? The reason was that Jesus had his mind on something different than what his disciples had on their minds (see Luke 8:22–25).
Psalm 127 reminds us that if we are building our kingdom without God, we will be laboring in vain. If we are building God’s kingdom, there is nothing ever to worry about, because God is in control. Our worry and anxiety reveal our concern is for the wrong kingdom.
So the next time you find yourself having trouble falling asleep. Ask yourself, “Whose house am I building?” Ask yourself, “Am I watching over the right things?” Consider if your priorities are aligned with God’s priorities.
Thought for the Day
Do you have trouble sleeping at night? If so, where do you need to find rest for your soul in Jesus?
I have big big problems with sleep, due to my actual job; I sometimes takes sleeping pills and it doesn’t even work ; I have been on sick leave cause of that, and seen a psychiatris . I wonder if I need to stop my job, but I don’t hear God saying stop….
Dominique – you may not hear God telling you to quit your job, but do you hear him telling you to stay? If not, maybe you should consider leaving. But first try to figure out what the root of the problem is that is causing you so much anxiety and ask yourself if there’s anything you can do to change things for the better. Or, can you change your attitude about whatever the problem is so that it doesn’t have so much negative power over you? I don’t think God wants you to be so miserable at your job. Something needs to change one way or the other. Good luck to you and I hope you find your answer soon.
Hi Dominique – Have you spoken with your pastor about this or another mature believer? Have you prayed with others about this? Pills and psychiatrists are man’s answer. There is a time and a place for those. But James 5 says if anyone is sick (could be sick with worry) that he should call the elders of the church, be anointed with oil, and be prayed over with the laying on of hands. The prayer of a righteous person will make the sick person well. There may be good reasons to leave your job because it is an unhealthy environment. But there is something beyond your job at work here. It’s not your job that is causing you to not sleep. It is the anxiety in your heart that the job is revealing. Another thing I would consider is if you are feeding yourself with God’s Word. We watch or read the news and all we hear is how the world is falling apart. We surf Facebook and experience the diatribe that is espoused there. Then we watch TV and are bombarded by the advertisements telling us that our life is not enough and that we need more. It’s no wonder so many of us are filled with anxiety. We need more of the Good News which is found in God’s Word. A steady diet of the Word is the antidote to so many anxieties in life.