Charging

I have a phone charger problem. No matter where I am, I make sure I have access to a phone charger. There’s a charger in my bedroom, a charger in the bathroom, a charger in the car, and I keep another in the book bag I carry everywhere. On top of that, I’ve been known to use a portable charger if there’s no place to plug in.

I don’t think this problem is unique to me. Most people my age are like this. Even if we don’t have our own charger readily available, we aren’t shy to ask somebody else for theirs. Just a few weeks ago I left my book bag charger in the office at work, so I had to borrow a charger from the barista at Starbucks. I didn’t think twice about asking for the charger, and the barista didn’t think twice about loaning the charger out. It’s just part of our culture.

We know our devices need charged to function properly and to be ready to go whenever we need them. But how often do we stop and think about whether or not we are being recharged?

We live with a “go” mentality. We’re always moving, always working, always grinding. When somebody talks about a work week with over 40 hours, it’s like a badge of honor. When it comes to why we’re always going, there are different reasons for different people. Some of us don’t have a choice. We have to make ends meet somehow. Some of us get value from our productivity. We equate or work with our worth. Some of us don’t know how to say no. We’re afraid of letting others down, so we take on more than we should. The list goes on and on. But ultimately, many of us are draining our batteries and never taking time to recharge.

I think we need to remind ourselves that God was so intent on us experiencing rest that he made the sabbath a commandment. It was carved into stone with the moral pillars of humanity. Right up there with “do not murder” and “do not steal” is this command: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. You are to labor six days and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.” (Exodus 20:8-10 HCSB)

This word “Sabbath” means rest. I think it is very telling that in the same list that tells us to have no other gods before the Lord our God, the same list that tells us to stay away from idols and warns us not to misuse the name of God, the same list that tells us how to interact with our fellow man also tells us that rest is a non-negotiable factor in our lives. It really is that important.

I believe I heard Rob Bell say a long time ago that when God gives this command to the people of Israel, just after they escape from Egyptian captivity, it is a reminder to them that they are human beings, not humans doing. We don’t get our value from our production. The daily grind doesn’t give us our meaning and our purpose. But the daily grind will wear us out, will wear us down, and will cause us to want to give up on the things that God really has for us.

So, what are you doing to recharge yourself? Where do you experience rest? You may not be able to apply this to your job. You may have to work 2 or 3 jobs to make ends meet. But I believe God still has rest for you. What is something that charges your batteries? Is it just spending time with your family? Is it playing a certain game with a certain group of friends? Is it going to the movies? Is it playing music? Is it gardening? Hiking? Sports? Cleaning the house? How can you disengage from the grind and plug in to something that charges you up?

Whatever it is, do it. Make time to do that thing. There are no excuses not to. You can’t afford not to. Your being a healthy person in the long run depends on it. You can either grind and grind and grind until there’s nothing left, or you can unhook, recharge, and keep going after everybody else has burnt out.

Our culture tends to focus on the grind. When somebody asks how things are going, our usual response is to talk about work or the current project we’re working on or what we’re doing to keep busy. We may even just cut out the details and say, “Oh, I’m keeping busy! You?” This means that you may feel some guilt or some shame or just a little awkward when you’re taking time for intentional rest. My advice is this: write out Exodus 20:8-10 and write out Exodus 34:21. When you start to feel that nagging feeling that you need to be doing something, look at the word of God and remember that He designed you for rest and commanded you to rest. Remind yourself that the health of your family, the health of your relationships, and the state of your future rests on whether or not you’re fully charged for whatever you need to do. If your battery is depleted when you’re needed most, then what is the grind worth anyways?