A recent study of one thousand children and teens found that most children wish that their parents would be less stressed and tired. (Source: Find Your Strongest Life by Marcus Buckingham). This is definitely something that as parents we should take seriously. Our jobs and the demands of life have many of us running for those little 5-hour bottles of energy just to get through each day. In fact, the company that makes those little bottles made $1 billion in retail sales last year!

God created life with a rhythm and we can try to cheat by working more and doing more and buying more energy in a bottle, but our children aren’t fooled. They know when we’re not at our best emotionally, physically and spiritually and it affects them as well. Think of it as the oxygen mask principle. When you get on an airplane the flight attendants always say that, in case of emergency, if you’re flying with a child you should always make sure your own oxygen mask is on securely BEFORE attempting to help them. If you pass out from lack of oxygen, you’re no help to anybody. In fact, you’ve become a liability to your kids at that point.

Believe it or not, rest is a spiritual activity. God himself rested on the seventh day and modeled a healthy rhythm of life for us. When we are well rested we have more patience and grace to deal with the demands of our work and our home.

So, what will you do in the next seven days to get better rested? What do you need to eliminate from or add to your schedule to make room for proper rest? What if one of the greatest gifts you could give your family is a better rested you?