True to form I slept four hours and then awoke. At some point I will go back to bed to get a few more hours of sleep but now I am wide awake. The creative juices are flowing and so I write.
Proverbs 20:13 (NASB)
13 Do not love sleep, or you will become poor; Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with food.
Some people love sleep. They can sleep for ten or twelve hours at a time. I hear of teens sleeping until the late hours of the afternoon because they stayed up all night not doing anything productive. I hold to the old adage, early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy wealthy and wise.
I think one of the reasons God created sleep is to remind all of us we are not God. Our mental, physical, and emotional capacities are limited. We all have to sleep to recharge. Sleep seems like such a waste of time. There is so much work to be done but we all have to rest. We all have to recharge to carry out our duties.
You can go to either extreme. Some sleep too little. They push and push their bodies to the extreme and eventually they break down. This is not wise or healthy. As I mentioned earlier some people love sleep and sleep too much. That is not wise or healthy either. There has to be a balance.
Some need more sleep than others. I have a good friend who regularly functions on four hours of sleep a night or less. It is not uncommon for him to be at his office working by 4:00 a.m. He regularly puts in twelve hours at work daily. I do not found bound to follow his example. That is how God made him.
On the other hand, others need more sleep. They do not function optimally without six to eight hours of sleep a night. They need not feel guilty. They should adjust their schedules so they can get the proper rest they need to perform at the highest levels the following day.
Some people are restless. I have learned over the years this can be valuable time spent if the time is invested wisely. How much praying can be done during restless hours? How much intercession can be done for others while you are restless? I am convinced that is at least part of the root cause for restlessness in my life. That is God's way of beckoning me to meet with Him and to pray for my nation and others. I have also studied for sermons during restless times as well as to write. I once wrote an entire book during a three day restless spell.
Ephesians 5:16 (NASB)
16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil.
I heard it said that each day is a gift from God and what we do with that day is our gift back to God. How do we make the most of our time or get the most out of our days? How can I use restless times to be productive? That is the question foremost on my mind as I write this morning.
I keep this thought in my mind. One day my head will hit the pillow for the last time. I will either die in my sleep or be called home during the day. At that point I will never sleep again but wake up in eternity. When that day comes I will present before Christ a body of work that represents what I did with my life. I do not think on that day I will wish I had slept more. I can't see my excuse before Jesus being I needed more sleep.
I suspect on that day I will wish I had done more. Prayed more. Studied more. Witnessed more. Written more. Read my Bible more. Worked longer and harder. On that day I will want to have made the most of my time.
I am not advocating workaholism. I am exhorting all of us to use the time we have to be productive. If that includes times of restlessness then let us make the most of that time.
The fiery evangelist and author, Leonard Ravenhill, seldom slept through an entire night. He went to bed early and then rose to pray in the wee hours of the morning. Often he went back to sleep for a couple of hours before starting the day. Many times he spent the entire night in prayer. I admire that example. Ravenhill inspires me during my restless nights.
I also think of that old pastor and author, A.W. Tower. He wrote the book The Pursuit Of God while on an all night train trip. He wrote all night by hand if my memory serves me correctly. During that restless night God gave the world the gift of a classic book that has ministered to hundreds of thousands of people.
Make the most out of your restless nights. Use that time to draw near to God. Keep watch on the walls of your home and community as an intercessor during restless seasons. Standing before Christ on the last day I don't think you will regret it.
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