Balancing life: God, work, life, play, and Rest

I once heard someone say that people who are truly committed to God will not mind sacrificing their time. I agree with the general importance of sacrificing especially as believers. But I also wonder to what extent our self-sacrifice is destructive and perhaps goes against God’s command and leads us into a life of fatigue and overwork, and ultimately burn out. Here are some passages to think about.

First is the greatest commandment according to Jesus:

Matthew 22: 37-39 “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ^c 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

In relation to this verse is another,

1John 4: 20-21 “If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21And we have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must love his brother as well.“

The way I conceptualize these two passages is thus: I think of a balance, but one that has 3 sides instead: one for God, myself, and others. These sides have to be equal to one another. Loving God more than myself and others is not acceptable because how can I say I love God without loving my sibling? And how can I say I love my sibling without loving myself?

My encouragement to you is this: failing to rest adequately is failing to love yourself and care for yourself. How can you love others like yourself? How can you love God when you can’t love yourself and others?