John 10:10 –“I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
What does it mean to live the abundant life? An abundant life is a life where one lives to the fullest. Just as a plant needs water, oxygen and earth to grow to maturity, humanity too needs what sustains human life.
However, too much water will kill a plant in the same way that too much of one thing is not healthy for man.
In the modern day and age, there are so many things that occupy our attention that it is hard to know what to give our attention to. Sometimes we catch ourselves in the middle of the whirlwind of life, worrying about the endless list of things we feel we have to get done, struggling to focus at all.
Many of us have this innate work mentality which leads us to constantly pursue what we see as our purpose of life. However, work is not the purpose of life.
In a Christian context, Elyse Scheller, sophomore economics major, said, “We are created in the image and likeness of God, the ultimate Worker, thus part of our mission is to work towards our telos, which is the fulfillment of our soul in God.”
Work is not inherently bad, but when it consumes our whole being, it naturally affects the way we function–even God rested on the seventh day. It follows, then, that there must be some sort of balance between work and rest.
What does it mean to rest? Mally Holleman, sophomore theology major, referenced Joseph Pieper’s book, “Leisure the Basis of Culture”, and said, “In order to rest properly, we have to bring ourselves to contemplation of God and ourselves.”
Oftentimes, when people hear the word “rest,” their mind jumps to a vision of a sort of “lazy” rest where they might scroll their phone, watch a movie or just zone out. However, one could make the argument that this type of “lazy rest” is no rest at all but an escape from the cares of the day — an escape from reality.
It seems somewhat counterintuitive to say that true rest requires some semblance of work. Yet through putting in the effort for leisure, we see ourselves ultimately becoming more attuned to reality.
Through the silence of contemplation and divine worship as true leisure, there is more room for joy and an ensuing fullness of life. Joy is the primary indicator of a well-balanced life, where man takes into consideration both his duties to work and to rest.
Since we have shown what true work and true rest are and the importance of balancing between them in order to become the best you can be, what are some specific ways to apply this to our day to day life?
First off, it is important to know your priorities and balance your life accordingly. St. Benedict’s motto, “Pray and Work,” demonstrates an example of how to apply balance in one’s life by focusing on what is most important.
It is necessary not to become isolated in the busyness of life but, through having priorities and engaging the virtue of moderation, to live to the fullest.