Principal's Ponderings

The Gift Of Sleep

“It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to His loved ones.”

Psalm 127:2 (NLT)

Have you ever stayed up too late thinking, "Just one more task, one more email, one more episode..." only to drag yourself through the next day, foggy and frustrated?

I remember when I was at university and I had a huge project to complete. I still remember thinking, if I work all night long, I will get an extra seven hours of work in! And I did. But I soon learnt I lost a lot of hours the following day and night to catch up on the sleep I had missed.

In our world of hustle and hurry, sleep can feel like a guilty luxury. We may secretly believe that pushing through exhaustion shows commitment, strength or success. But Scripture flips that idea upside down. Sleep is not a waste of time, it is a gift from God.

Every time we lay our heads on the pillow, we engage in a quiet act of faith. We say, “Lord, I know You’ve got this. The world does not rest on my shoulders, it rests in Your hands.”

Theologian John Piper puts it beautifully: “Sleep is a daily reminder from God that we are not God.”

Even Jesus slept, deeply, in the middle of a storm (Mark 4:35–41). While His disciples panicked, Jesus slept. That scene is not just about weather; it is about peace. If Jesus could nap in a storm, so can we, because our rest is rooted in His presence, not in our circumstances.

God created our bodies to rest. It is His gentle reminder that we do not have to do it all. When we sleep, He keeps working, sustaining, protecting and providing. Author Tish Harrison Warren writes in Liturgy of the Ordinary:

“In sleep, I’m reminded that the world doesn’t rest on my effort. I am not the saviour of the world. God is.”

Resting well also helps us love well. A good night’s sleep refuels our patience, sharpens our thinking and fills us with fresh joy to engage fully in learning, relationships and worship.

So how do we receive this gift more intentionally? Consider these bedtime rhythms. Here are a few ideas:

• Wind down the day with calm; read a story, pray or play gentle worship music.

• Try going to bed at the same time each night for consistency.

• Turn off screens thirty minutes before bed to quiet the mind.

• Before you sleep, thank God for three things from your day, it brings peace to your heart.

So tonight, instead of pushing through, may we pause and receive sleep not as weakness, but as worship. Let us teach our children (and remind ourselves), that God works while we rest. And that sleep, like grace, is a gift we do not have to earn.

“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

Psalm 4:8

Shalom shalom,

Chad Smit