Rest, An Important Part Of Growth
Rest, An Important Part Of Growth
Finding time on a regular basis for disconnected rest is thought to be an important part of personal wellbeing and brain development. A commentary on research in this area highlighted the importance of time for reflection, imagining and daydreaming for the enhancement of academic performance and the development of social emotional capacities, including the development of moral thinking and reasoning. When truly at rest, the research indicates that the brain moves into a default mode, which develops different capacities to when we are engaged in activity. The research would suggest that the inwardly reflective and outwardly active development of the brain is interdependent. Finding time to disconnect and allowing the mind to wander is important for people of all ages. Connection with nature has also been found to have significant benefits for our physical and emotional wellbeing.
Rest is a key theme in the Bible. At the very beginning we read that ‘on the seventh day, God rested’ and in the New Testament we read of Jesus going into the desert, out in a boat or up onto a mountain to rest and pray. In the bible we are encouraged to rest on the seventh day of our week and to create space for reflection about our relationships with God, others and the world. An emphasis on inner peace and rest flows through the New Testament, captured in the passages such as, “Come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest”. We read too of the encouragement to leave our worries with Him, confident in the assurance that God will provide for us just as He does for nature.