FINDING THE BALANCE BETWEEN WORK AND REST
 In the business and professional world, we often discuss and hear about the importance of a strong work ethic. We place high value in someone who is willing to work diligently and, if necessary, put in extra time to complete important assignments. But is there ever a point where this focus on work ethic is overdone?
Have you ever dealt with a workload so large you felt your only hope was to work harder and longer? Then, after staying late and pouring yourself into the projects, you came back to work the next day only to find your pile of responsibilities had grown even bigger? Day after day you fight these battles until you finally reach the level exhaustion, utter frustration - or both.
Many of the troubled business owners who ask us to consult with them experience these feelings. They start off believing that if they just exert themselves harder, with more determination, they can dig their way out of the overwhelming load of work they are facing. However, instead of reducing this pressure, the workload only becomes larger. It's like having a hole in your pocket: no matter how much money you put in it, nothing remains in it. The money keeps slipping through.
God designed our bodies to require sleep and rest. We may be able to push ourselves to the limit of our capacities for a while, but eventually it will take its toll; the result will be not only in a lack of productivity, but also physical exhaustion. Over the years I have discovered that God not only desires us to rest, but He also will see to it that our work gets accomplished - if we are working on the right priorities.
Psalm 127:1-2 emphasizes this concept: "Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat - for he grants sleep to those he loves."
If your work seems endless, and sometimes unfruitful, it might be beneficial to re-examine what you are working on - and how you are approaching this work. Is the Lord building it, or are you? Are you getting enough rest? A lesson I have learned through personal experience is that God's plan is the best plan. When He is doing the building, right at the center of our goals and endeavors, our work will get done. And this work will be achieved even as we take time for an appropriate amount of rest.
So if you have convinced yourself that the secret to business success is working harder and longer, sacrificing whatever is necessary - even adequate rest to restore yourself physically, or sufficient time to develop and maintain rewarding relationships - I would advise you to reconsider. Is the return on your labor really worth the magnitude of what it will cost you personally, socially and perhaps, over the long term, even professionally?
Work is good. God ordained it. We should do it to the best of our ability. Work is one way of being good stewards of our abilities, talents and gifts. However, work taken to excess is counterproductive and can carry negative consequences. So consider this advice: Take time to relax and enjoy life the way God intended - work in balance with an adequate amount of rest and leisure activities.
(Copyright 2006, Integrity Resource Center, Inc.) Adapted with permission from "Integrity Moments with Rick Boxx," a commentary on issues of integrity in the workplace from a Christian perspective. For more information about receiving Integrity Moments in their e-mail box, write to: rboxx@IntegrityMoments.com and type "subscribe" in the subject line
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