Sleep should be a time of refreshing and relief. It should allow our bodies to rest, heal, and regenerate. For some of us, however, sleep is an anxious time that does not provide the refreshment we need because of worries and anxieties that intrude. These intrusive thoughts become our enemies, and the only way to battle them is with God.
In Deuteronomy 20:4 we can find courage. “For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” God is in control of us and of our enemies, and we have to give our worries and fears over to him. Peter admonishes us in 1 Peter 5:7 to “Cast all our anxiety on him because he cares for you.” That word cast means to throw something forcefully in a specific direction, similar to a fisherman casting a new out of his boat. We can forcefully throw our anxiety to God, and he will take care of it for us.
What are some thoughts that cause anxiety and keep us awake at night?
- our ‘to do’ list
- family and friends
- difficult situations
- appointments or an agenda for the next day
- projecting about what might happen in the future
Philippians 4:6 tells us to not be anxious about ANYTHING! Yes, all these things are important, but they should not be distracting us or robbing us of our much needed sleep. Anxiety keeps us up, and gives us a tired, ‘hangover’ feeling the next day. It can cause us to be careless or distracted, and may even cause us to cancel plans.
So – how do we find real rest? In John 14:27, Jesus is trying to comfort his disciples as his time to leave them draws near. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” Think about the peace the Jesus had, even when he was on his way to the cross. He never lashed out or gave up out of stress, even under fear of the worst punishment we can imagine. We have that peace! Jesus has left it for us in the form of the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us. We can trust that if we throw everything we worry about toward him, we will indeed find rest.
There are different ways we can settle our minds in order to gain an effective, restful sleep:
- write down what is troubling you; journal
- meditate on a favorite verse; memorize a Bible verse
- count backwards by 7’s or 9’s
- put on white noise
- listen to instrumental music or spa noise
- read something light
In other words, do anything that distracts you from your worries!
Pause. We need to be still and committed to God’s timing to help us deal with the things that worry or stress us out. Here are some verses to help you.
Psalm 37:7. – “Be still and wait for God.”
Psalm 27:14 – “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
Lamentations 3:25-26 – “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”
Psalm 4:8 – “I will like down and sleep in peace because you alone, o Lord, make me dwell in safety.”
by: Melanee Castillo