Book Review: Reset

How many times have you had a problem with an electronic device that was fixed by simply turning it off and back on? In my home office setup, I regularly connect my iPad to an external monitor. The other day I tried to play some music while I worked, but the play button did nothing. After digging through settings and staring in frustration at the sound output being greyed out, I finally decided to try restarting it. It worked perfectly as soon as it restarted! In Reset, David Murray calls men to do that with their lives. It is healthy for us to take a step back from our busyness and make sure that how we use our time is aligned with biblical priorities.

It’s so easy to keep adding more and more things to our schedules. Perhaps they are even good things. We can get so busy with work or ministry that we neglect the privileges and responsibilities of walking with God personally and caring for our families well. Overcommitting leads to cutting corners on sleep, healthy eating, exercise habits, and time with God. Burnout then leads to health problems, spiritual problems, and broken relationships. God calls us to something better. David Murray shares how he experienced these issues and how God used the truths of Scripture to change his thinking and pattern of life to one that is sustainable.

I’m going to share a couple of areas that helped me as I read through this book recently. I hope you’ll pick it up and consider areas that you might need to change as well.

1. I need a healthy theology of sleep.

(from Chapter 3: Rest)

When you don’t sleep as much as you should, what are you saying about God? David Murray says you are saying “I don’t trust God with my work, my church, or my family.” [page 50] Ouch. Think about it. Genesis is clear that God established day and night. The clear pattern is that every 24 hours, we need a certain amount of rest. If we are habitually refusing to accept that and staying up late just to get one more thing done, then we’re saying that God didn’t give us enough time. Listen to Psalm 127:2:

It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.

Wait, we shouldn’t rise up early? Actually, we know that Jesus did this to fellowship with God the Father. The issue being addressed here is our motivation. Do you rise up early and go late to rest because you are depending on yourself? You can’t burn the candle from both ends and expect everything to be just fine.

Murray calls you to think about how your sleep impacts you and those around you. When you don’t get enough, you’re irritable. Worse yet, Murray shares scary statistics about how we endanger others as we drive without enough rest. At least 100,000 crashes and 1,550 deaths can be linked to falling asleep while driving every year in the United States! [page 53]

So how much sleep do you need? There are a lot of factors. Eight hours or so is a good starting point, but it really comes down to what allows you to feel rested. I know if I get 6 hours or less consistently I start to feel pretty miserable after a few days. For me, 7.5 hours seems to be a sweet spot for being alert and able to work through tasks well during the day. Of course, there are seasons in our lives when a newborn or a sick child or a ministry need might interrupt good sleep. Good patterns of sleep can help support those occasions and we trust God for grace to help us through the consequences of less sleep.

Do you have trouble going to sleep or staying asleep? Murray gives some suggestions for how to address these struggles along with advice on making healthy sleep patterns a habit.

2. I need enough structure to get things done and enough freedom to meet needs as they come up.

(from Chapter 7: Reduce)

Our culture certainly leans toward honoring the person who is always responsive to any requests he receives. Awards and promotions are given to those who achieve the most tasks and respond to the most emails. If we are to live with purpose as Christians, though, we must choose to say no to some things. Probably many things.

Murray advises a balance in your plans. Create a plan for routines based on your work, family, and ministry responsibilities. Leave enough room for caring for needs that may come up unexpectedly that you can meet well based on your proximity and resources.

One of the practical recommendations that stood out to me was for planning your calendar. When asked to do something, don’t just plan for the time of the actual event. For example, if someone asks you to teach a class in your church, don’t just plan for the hour or so you may be teaching. Add on your calendar when you will prepare in the weeks ahead. If there’s not room for both the actual opportunity and all the preparation needed, then you need to say no to that or to something else already on your calendar.

Conclusion

As you seek to honor God in the way that you care for your family, taking time to pause and evaluate how you are using the life God has given you is important. Reset is a diagnostic tool to help you take a deep look at your life to see if you are trying to do too much while missing what you were made for​​.