Resting from Writing

We become consumed with the writing life. Work…work…work, type…type…type, we push ourselves to meet the demands and deadlines set before us. And then we wonder why we hit mental brick walls — taller than mountains, and wider than the rolling Mississippi.

But what does God say about the pressures we endure? Is this really the plan?

I knew when I jumped into the throes of writing, I’d encounter the temptation to break a personal and, for me, very important value principle. One honored not merely out of duty and obedience, but because I recognized the benefits and blessings. It’s an overlooked command in today’s hustle-bustle culture. Over the past three decades, we’ve slowly become conditioned to push ourselves 7/365, until we’re flat-nosed against that mental wall.

I refer to taking a sabbath rest. It goes against the grain of our writing demands.

• For instance, we are urged to write every day, so we don’t lose momentum, or allow our skills to cover in rust.
• As writers, many of us pull double-duty as speakers. This requires even more time while we juggle between the work itself and the marketing of writing and speaking.
• Most of us hold down a day job, and it lessens the amount of time we can devote to writing. The weekends are promoted as time to buckle down and focus.

But I offer an alternative mind-set, about the benefits of taking our weekly Sabbath.

• If we continually push ourselves in a fatigued state, we are subliminally distracted by the influx of pin-pricking, achy feelings, and heavy muscles brought on by exhaustion. Rest diminishes painful symptoms.
• While the body rests, so does the mind. Science has proven that in a state of rest we heal, regenerate, and restore. Rest provides the much-needed medicinal touch when our words run stagnant and our minds run dry.
• God promises blessings when we honor the Sabbath.

Consistently allowing ourselves a whole day of rest, with permission to nap, relax, to enjoy life, can  free us to produce powerful words that will inspire, encourage, teach, and exhort. And I believe God’s example of resting on the seventh day is one worth following. After all, He is the best-selling author of all time.

When I wrote my first book, while holding down a demanding day job as General Manager at a large river resort, the temptation to write on Sunday pressed on me week after week. But I determined to give myself the gift of a weekly sabbath. To this day, I can’t fully explain how I wrote that book while working insane hours during our peak season.

The only answer to my accomplishment is that it was supernatural. I believe honoring the sabbath and keeping it holy played a part. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not perfect (that would get a bah-ha-ha from my family and friends), but I’m doing my best.

For me, the importance of placing God and His ways above everything, including my writing and speaking, is the real secret to my success. You might try it — resting from writing to find the inspiration you’re looking for.

Do you rest from your work?