Take a break before your energy level becomes dangerously low

Knowing when to take a break is one of the most important lessons in life--and it's especially vital for singles.

We act as if our bodies have an unlimited amount of energy--and that's just not true. We can restore our energy by eating, sleeping and resting, but singles are notorious for cheating in one or two of those areas.

Surprisingly, even Jesus couldn't work nonstop. While he had the powers of God--the ability to raise people from the dead, multiply food, control the weather--he also was human and had to rest from time to time. We see this in Mark 6:31:

Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them (his disciples), "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."

Many times the press of the crowds and healing sick people pushed Jesus to the point of exhaustion. But he never let himself go over the edge. In his wisdom, he knew when to take a break.

Few of us today get enough sleep. We live on junk food or the latest incarnation of TV dinners. We consider relaxing to be a waste of our precious time. Then we wonder why we're tired, irritable, and on the verge of tears.

In the United States, the law mandates that workers be allowed to take a break after a certain number of hours. Yet we don't think that applies in our personal lives. If we're out to "prove" something or keep up with younger folks, we can't go on indefinitely.

If you do take a rest, what do you do? Do you grab a pad and plan more work? Do you get on the phone and make more appointments? Do you multi-task to the point of lunacy?

Hey! Quit it already!

Read a magazine. Knit. Make crafts. Do some sudokus or crossword puzzles. Or my personal favorite: Take a nap.

Thomas Edison, inventor of the electric light bulb, motion picture camera, phonograph, and thousands of other useful inventions, was one of the most productive human beings who ever lived. He also liked to take naps. In fact, he was so good at it that he could fall asleep lying on a hard workbench. Then he'd wake up refreshed and get back to work.

I'm not advocating sleeping on the job, but I am saying that everyone needs to take a break, including you.

If Jesus saw the need for it, who are we to argue? Especially with someone who was never wrong.

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