The question of whether to be like Christ is a morning or night person is best answered by focusing on discipline and prioritizing one’s relationship with God at any time of day, not by biological preference. While Jesus is depicted as an early riser to seek God, the core principle is to find a time that works, whether morning, noon, or night, and be consistent.
- Jesus was an early riser: The scriptures suggest Jesus frequently woke up early to pray and connect with God, even before the day’s business began.
- Focus on discipline, not preference: The key is the discipline of setting aside time, not being a natural “morning person”. This time is for prayer, reflection, and setting the tone for the day, or for winding down at night.
- The importance of the time: The “why” behind the early rising is to give God the “first portion” of the day, when you are most alert, and to start the day with a sense of purpose and guidance, which can improve your response to challenges.
- It’s about consistency, not a specific time: The priority is to consistently “seek God” and not let the “leftovers” of the day be the only time for spiritual reflection.
- Different times can work: While mornings are a common and encouraged time for this, some find more meaning in a quiet time before bed. The most important thing is to find a time that works for your personal season of life.
How many times does Jesus rest (day or night) in the Bible?
I have never considered this question before, but I find it very interesting. I aspire to be like Jesus, so let’s count the times. In The Gospel According to Matthew, we find Jesus asleep in 8:24. He always seems very busy in Matthew, but in contrast he offers rest for the souls of those come to him in 11:29. So Jesus only rests once in Matthew.In The Gospel According to Mark, we find Jesus asleep in 4:38, but this event we already counted in Matthew. In Mark 6:31 Jesus says to his disciples, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.” So it looks as if he planned a retreat, but thousands of people see them going and run ahead of them so that Jesus doesn’t have a chance to rest. In Mark 7:24 it appears that Jesus is still trying for some rest but is unsuccessful. In Mark 16:19 Jesus “sat down at the right hand of God” after being received up into heaven. Since his ministry was done, I take that as being a rest.In The Gospel According to Luke, we find Jesus lying in a manger wrapped in cloths in 2:7. It doesn’t say he was resting, but he had just been born and probably needed the rest. In Luke 8:23 it says of Jesus, “He fell asleep.” It sounds as if he was exhausted from all the work he had been doing. This again is the same incident mentioned in Mathew and Mark.
In The Gospel According to John, we find Jesus sitting by Jacob’s well “being wearied from His journey” in 4:6. He doesn’t have much rest because a woman comes to draw water, and he asks her for a drink and engages in a discussion with her. When Jesus is confronted about healing on the Sabbath (a day of rest when no work is supposed to be done) He responds, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working” (John 5:17).
The Letter to the Hebrews says that Jesus, when he had “made purification of sins” (1:3), “having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time” (10:12), and “endured the cross” (12:2) sat down at the right hand of God.In The Revelation to John, Jesus states, “I … overcame and sat down with my Father on His throne” (3:21).So that’s ten times that the Bible references Jesus’s resting, but only four separate events. So I conclude that we who follow Him should be busy.