Sleep Deprivation

For Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Proverbs 20:13

Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty;
open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread.

Don't suffer sleep deprivation, that is, the sleep that deprives you of being industrious. It is healthy to get a "good night's" sleep; it is hurtful to linger in bed and block the sun out of your eyes. However comfortable you may feel for the moment, you are robbing yourself.

How so? For one thing, you are robbing yourself of hours of work - work that will produce food or money for food. You cannot earn your pay while sleeping in bed. Another thing is that you are robbing yourself of energy to work. Sleep is necessary to restore a body's energy, but too much sleep tires the body; it tires the mind as well. Activity is necessary to generate energy for body and mind.

And then, too much sleep increases the likelihood that you will miss opportunities that come your way for success. As another proverb outside the Bible says, "The early bird catches the worm." How many opportunities have you missed because sleep kept your eyes closed?

Finally, understand that "sleep" represents more than closed eyes. It is closing the eyes of your mind and of your heart. You can walk around with your physical eyes wide open, and still sleep through the opportunities God has provided for you to see him and to see his work. Indeed, your prayer in the morning should be "Lord, open my eyes to all the opportunities you will give me to glorify you this day," rather than "give me opportunities." The Lord has much bread to give you today if you will but open your eyes and be active serving and enjoying him today.