Take The Day Off: Receiving God’s Gift of Rest

Pastor Morris (The Blessed Life) explores the Sabbath as an antidote for the weariness that comes from overwork in this enlightening guide. He draws on his own experience with burnout from running a megachurch and a personal breakdown to address what he sees as an epidemic of busyness in American society: “It’s about coming to a place of faith and trust that God is our provider and we can live a lifestyle of rest!” Morris discusses the need to regularly replenish the four “tanks” of one’s spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental reservoirs, which must be full in order to fill the lives of others—as Christianity dictates. He offers suggestions for experiencing spiritual connection, schedules for physical rest, passages to inspire emotional joy, and tips for “mental refreshment” during the Sabbath day each week, such as fasting, reading, and abstaining from news. Morris allows that it may seem impossible to take an entire day of relaxation every week, but he insists that readers prioritize such a thing by scheduling it as a standing appointment with God that cannot be rearranged. Christians will be won over by Morris’s persuasive argument that the best type of rejuvenation comes from standing firm in a weekly commitment to dedicating one’s mind, body, and spirit to holy worship and rest. (Nov.)