What we do in our free time reveals who we are when we step out of the whirlwind of daily tasks. But the projects and relationships to which we devote our free moments also reveal who we will become. At the end of the journey, people see the value of every second much more clearly, and often realise that rest—physical rest, but more importantly, soul rest—is as precious a gift as work.
I remember this scene from decades ago as if it were yesterday. She, who worked even when she was resting, had spent her last weeks in bed, knowing that she would never get out of it. I remember her in a perpetual sprint, as if walking at a regular pace was an offence against the purpose of the world, as if only the hurried pace suited a traveller through life. Then the day came when she was forced to look into the eyes of truths she had only glimpsed before: that no one puts aside the moments of respite and joy we have yet to experience, and that the end always comes too soon—sometimes so abruptly that there’s not even time for a last hug.
She had a couple of easy weeks and a couple of unbearable ones, and the thing that troubled me the most was her regret, which would jump to the surface and burn me like a piece of hot coal. She longed to stay a little longer, to enjoy the little things that surrounded her—the little house, clean as a whistle, the breeze from the window, the trees full of fruit, the lilacs at the gate, and the buzz of children passing by on their way to school in the morning.
I don’t know if she would have enjoyed all the details of this novel of her life more if she had slowed down; if she had realised that rest, like work, has a purpose. The regret of not having enjoyed life enough is common enough among people on their deathbed anyway, as nurse Bronnie Ware notes. But I know that this grief weighed on my soul and made me doubt that grown-ups always know where to draw the line and how to make sense of life’s experiences.
I grew up in a community of hardworking people where the supreme, unquestioned value seemed to be the achievement of “doing all the work”, no matter how much sacrifice of time or relationships it entailed. So this lament from a person who no one could suspect of shirking hard work or flirting too often with rest made me wonder if there was a flaw in the pyramid of values—one that people often discover too late, with the sharpness of a final glance.
Rest versus idleness
Some time ago, I witnessed a conversation between a doctor and his patient, the latter trying to excuse his habit of working too much, with too few breaks and too much stress. It was a habit that had led him to health problems that could only be curbed by extreme lifestyle changes. Yet the patient insisted on dividing people into two categories—those who are hard to start and those who are hard to stop. And the way his voice placed syllables and accents on each category left no doubt about his pride in belonging to the right category.
The theologian J. I. Packer has identified three problems in the way people understand and use leisure. First, idolatry—as some worship work, others worship leisure. Second, hedonism—many believe that leisure should be used entirely for their own pleasure. And third, utilitarianism—leisure is seen as a means of increasing our productivity. Christians tend to struggle with the utilitarian mindset, says Parker, who notes that work has become the religion of modern Christians and that workaholism is seen as a virtue rather than a problem.
In the age of entertainment, the temptation to slack off may be greater than ever, but there are some principles that help us distinguish between idleness and rest, says Christian author Amy DiMarcangelo. A first principle is that rest is part of a rhythm that needs to be followed, both to restore our bodies, to enjoy creation and each other, and to give our hearts time to gaze upon God. The second principle is that rest should revitalise us. If, after a period of rest, we feel no more motivated, but less inspired and less eager to get back to work, it may be an indication that we have not had a period of rest, but a period of idleness.
A third principle is that rest should refocus our hearts. While indulging in sloth makes us more susceptible to sin and insensitive to God’s Spirit, rest refocuses our attention. It reminds us that work is not everything, that our value does not derive from our productivity, and that we were created to learn and to love.
Ultimately, if idleness leads to selfishness, rest brings better results—it helps us to recover and to fulfil our responsibilities better, and therefore also contributes to the good of others.
When we become Christians, everything changes, including how we spend our free time, because what we do is focused on God and not on ourselves, points out Christian missionary and author Kristi Walker, in an article that tries to answer the question: “Does God care how I spend my free time?”
Leisure and the spiritual life
For those who wonder if God cares if we stream movies on Netflix, play sports, listen to music or enjoy other activities in our free time, Walker answers another question: Is there a physical or secular part of life that is separate from the spiritual life? For Christians, the physical and spiritual lives are intertwined because all life revolves around the Creator, Walker writes, quoting the apostle Paul: “For from him and through him and for him are all things” (Romans 11:36); “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
The Apostle Paul’s exhortation to “put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature” (Colossians 3:5) has nothing to do with belittling or stigmatising physical activities (eating, working, socialising, shopping, etc.), but is aimed at crucifying the old motivations for living and enjoying, the Christian author points out.
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Many of the activities in which we spent our leisure time before we became Christians may continue, but their purpose must change, for a Christian lives for the glory of God. The divine plan is for us to be transformed into the image of God, and this transformation is not possible for those who want their lives to retain their form and God to be a mere accessory.
Randy Alcorn, founder of Eternal Perspective Ministries, emphasises that leisure time is not time to be wasted without regard for anything other than our needs and desires. To better manage our free time, Alcorn recommends keeping a record of how we spend our free time and making an honest analysis of our favourite activities: What kind of person do our activities and hobbies make us?
Rest, the mark of God-centred leisure
Pastor Joel Beeke admits that leisure is the second topic he receives the most questions about, noting that the projects, ideas, and relationships we devote most of our time to determine the direction of our lives. At the same time, Beeke emphasises that how we spend our free time shows who we are and what our goals are in life.
Professor Paul Heintzman, for his part, points to some indications of whether our free time is being spent in a genuine, God-centred way: The qualitative dimension of leisure, which implies the presence of peace, rest, joy and an attitude of celebration of the good things received from God; the quantitative dimension, which refers to a rhythm of life with periods of work and periods of rest; the choice of those leisure activities that emphasise rest and joy; the avoidance of selfish pleasure; and living life as a whole, as a divine gift.
Leisure is above all “a mental and spiritual attitude”.
Human history begins with a day of rest given by God before man has had a chance to work, and for Heintzman this is proof that rest is an integral part of human nature. Leisure, especially when combined with an atmosphere of celebration, awe, and wonder, plays an important role in the flourishing of the Christian life.
More than just an opportunity for a holiday, a vacation or a weekend, leisure is first and foremost “a mental and spiritual attitude”, wrote the philosopher Josef Pieper. Building on this statement, Heintzman notes that leisure is a time of healing, restoration, and rest in God’s care.
The importance of rest increases during the busiest times.
The Sabbath commandments observed in an agricultural society (“Six days you shall labour, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the ploughing season and harvest you must rest”—Exodus 34:21) show that the importance of rest increases during the busiest times, the professor notes. Moreover, the fact that the Israelites who went out on the seventh day to gather manna (despite the divine command to gather their manna for the Sabbath on the sixth day of the week) found none, shows that no matter how great and excruciating our own efforts to meet our needs, God is the sustainer of life. When we stop our daily race, we realise that all we have is the fruit of His goodness.
Free time is not really free if our souls do not find rest. And rest does not necessarily mean the end of the race, but a change of direction: “Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you” (Psalm 116:7).
Carmen Lăiu is an editor of Signs of the Times Romania and ST Network.
