What is one of our most overlooked and important needs? It is a need few ever talk about, but we always complain about. Ready?
For many of us our greatest need is — SLEEP.
For two reasons … the effect of sleep deprivation on our relationships, and on our resistance to temptation.
Sleep deprivation has a devastating affect on relationships. Going without sleep makes a person cranky, critical and moody. Keep going without sleep and you’ll find yourself interrupting others, giving sarcastic replies, and even hurting your friends or spouse. Keep going without sleep and you’ll become a different person, and when you finally see the mire into which you have sunk, you will pray and ask God to help your attitude.
But there is an even more serious consequence: sleep deprivation erodes the will. What do they do to POWs to get them to give in? They keep them awake. They keep lights on; wake them every half hour depriving them of sleep. They put them in tiny rooms where they can’t stretch out or catch more than ten minute snoozes at a time. The prisoner will finally break and give in.
Sleeplessness erodes the will to resist. It makes you want to give in.
Go without sufficient sleep and even the strongest willed person gives in easier. You’ll give in to temptation in a few moments. You’ll be too tired to resist… and when you finally see the mire into which you have sunk… again… you’ll pray and ask God to strengthen your resistance to temptation.
But in either case God will not answer your prayers. You’ll ask God to fix your attitude and strengthen your will, but He won’t. Why does God not answer these prayers?
God seldom does for us what He has designed in creation for us to get another way.
He already established a solution for problems that stem from sleep deprivation – A REGULAR HABIT OF SLEEP. Sleep provides a re-charge for our body and soul. If we ignore regular sleep… we should expect to suffer the consequences.
Most people don’t need to go to counseling or to go to church… they need to go to bed.
The discipline we may need to develop is not the discipline to get up in the morning…
but to go to bed at night.
~Greg
ps – Tomorrow is Freaky Friday #2 – What ridiculousness will it be this time?
{This is a series of posts for 31 Days of Rest & Risk. To read the other posts, click here.}
Sonika says
Thanks for this. I often forget that there’s a reason God made my body so it has to rest on a regular basis. For reasons numerous and varied, I definitely don’t have the discipline of a regular sleep schedule…but perhaps I need to work a little harder at creating one.
Sonika recently posted..Kerry, Part II: the quaintest little town…and some more churches
Natasha says
Amen! I’ve always placed a high priority on more than adequate sleep for my kids, but I recognize the importance for me as well. It is amazing how your outlook changes upon waking if you “just go to bed”. Not to mention the fountain of youth that springs from getting “beauty rest.”
Tay says
Hi Caroline! I am definitely in need of some sleep! 🙂 I also just wrote a post about sleeping as it pertains to college students! I linked to it above if you want to check it out!
Tay recently posted..day 11 | a different kind of sick
Greta says
Finally, one I’m good at!