The Grace of Sleep

I sometimes defend my habit of staying up too late with the thought that the early bird may get the worm, but the night owl eats the early bird for a midnight snack. I don't know if I'm the first to say that, but inasmuch as I stay up trying to get work done, I think I'm wrong. I keep beating my head against this wall:

Unless the LORD builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.
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. (Psalm 127:1-2)

Here's an interesting application of that text

This psalm alludes to the possibility that work done in a certain manner is in harmony with the will of God to the extent that it amounts to God himself working (cf. Psalm 90:16-17; Isaiah 26:12; Ephesians 2:10). I'm open to correction on that interpretation of verse 1. But if I'm understanding correctly, how does vain labor differ from work that is the LORD's? It seems the only quality of vain work mentioned by the text is the habit of rising early and going late to rest. How does rest or the lack thereof determine whether our work is God's or in vain?

It dawned on me two weeks ago when I stayed up past 3 AM three times in one week in order to write this that there is a correspondence between the necessity of physical rest for effective physical work and spiritual rest for effective spiritual work. It was particularly striking to me because I was writing that the only way we can do good moral works is from a posture that rests in Christ's work for righteousness and acceptance with God, and I found myself sluggish and less than sharp in my routine work at the bike shop because of a lack of rest. Isn't it odd that past a certain point, the harder we work, the less we get done? So too in the spiritual and moral realm (not that physical work has no spiritual and moral value), when we don't rest in Christ as our righteousness, but seek to justify ourselves through our work/s, our works shrivel, regardless how hard we try.

This is an on-going struggle that's been particularly intense for me the past few weeks. I set a goal to finish three substantial pieces of writing by the end of October, and three weeks into November I'm not done with any of them. And it seems the more I redouble my efforts, the less progress I make. Since much of my writing is theological, I also find myself greatly hindered when my desire to produce turns into a desire to perform, and my heart craves the approval of people for what I speak in public more than the approval of God when I seek him in private. Then comes the subtle perversity of seeking God so that I can be productive and have something good to write rather than for His own sake. Scary. As Keller summarizes Edwards, the difference between a genuine and false believer is that a false believer finds God useful and the true believer finds God beautiful.

That leads quite naturally to this prayer:

Let your work be shown to your servants,
and your glorious power to their children.
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the work of our hands! (Psalm 90:16-17)

Our work "established" is dependent on a vision of God's work and power, and receiving his favor. The word translated "favor" is the Hebrew word noam, which may also be translated "beauty" or "pleasantness," and is the source of the name Naomi.

O LORD, you will ordain peace for us,
for you have indeed done for us all our works. (Isaiah 26:12)

I don't fully understand how those two things relate, but Paul alludes to similar ideas in Ephesians 2, perhaps by way of elaboration.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, God prepared beforehand... we walk. How much more clear can Paul be that the key to our works is not our works? He continues...

Therefore remember that... you were at that time separated from Christ... But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility... that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
(Ephesians 2:11-18)

There's much more that could be said about these texts and others, but for now, I'm off to enjoy sleep, that constant reminder that neither my work nor my works can save me, and that God works and gives while I close my eyes and snore.