In ancient Athens, a man noticed the great storyteller, Aesop, playing childish games with some little boys. He jeered at Aesop, asking him why he wasted time in frivolous activity.

Aesop responded by picking up a bow, loosening its string, and placing it on the ground. Then he said to the critical Athenian, “Now, answer the riddle, if you can. Tell us what the unstrung bow implies.”

The man looked at it for several moments but had no idea what point Aesop was trying to make. Aesop explained, “If you keep a bow always bent, it will break eventually; but if you let it go slack, it will be more fit for use when you want it.”

We, too, must be careful to get our proper rest. The exhausting demands of the average 9-to-5 work day are enough to tax even the healthiest among us. As humans, we need an outlet for the tension. Scripture instructs us, “Redeem…the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16). If we want to make the most of our time, we must balance labor and leisure. Too much labor will result in burnout; too much leisure will result in wipeout.

Does your life lack peace? Do you always feel tension at work? Take a break. You’ll be surprised to find how a little rest will make a difference!