When I Relax I Feel Guilty

As a man I have always felt I needed to be "busy" or "doing something" to be fulfilling my purpose. Recently a life altering event happened in my life and through tears and despair I sensed the Lord tell me that NOW, I could see my worth and value could be seen in who I am IN HIM, and not what I used to do FOR HIM. It is during this time of slowing down that I found this book by Tim Hansel and it has helped me understand the concept of coming apart, so that I do not come apart. I may still struggle with putting my feet up, but I have kept the book at the end of my bookshelf where the title is visible from my reading chair as a reminder if ever I feel guilty that my feet are up as I read...

I bought (and devoured!) this book 15 years ago and it is still one of my favorite books of all time. A must read for those of us who think that it just isn't okay to relax until all the work is done!

I found this book to be straight forward and helpful with many clients who want to feel better, live fulfilled lives, but don't know how to do such without over working, making vacation a working vacation, and constantly ignoring the signs of "simply not knowing what relaxing is..." A good read, for those that will take the time to do so...

An excerpt from the book: "Is fatigue next to Godliness? When was the last time you woke up rested - I mean really rested and exuberant and excited about meeting the day? When was the last time you laughed until tears poured from your eyes? Are you truly able to relax? Or are you still convinced of the notion that the world might just cave in if you dare to stop for a while? Do you have time to rest? Do you even know what it means? Interestingly enough, Scripture not only calls us to enter God's rest, but to live out of that rest. The temptation to overwork is potentially one of the greatest problems for dedicated, sincere Christians today. We are more often characterized by frantic activity, fatigue, and weariness than love, compassion, and joy." If much of your Christian experience has been like too much of mine, the author's questions may have brought tears to your eyes, as they did mine. A deep longing to enter the rest he talks about welled up within me as I read much of this book. Thankfully, his work is also full of answers to questions like: * What is the Biblical view of work... and play? * How can I make the most of very long and very short periods (even two minutes!) of "free" time? * What are some creative and practical ways to bring joy & rest back into my life and the life of my family? I recommend this book to anyone looking for an enriching, life-changing, & "guilt"-free read!