Sweet, sweet rest

There have been a few posts floating around the blogosphere lately on workaholism (see for instance: http://www.challies.com/writings/podcast/workaholism). These led me to recall the first verses of Psalm 127:

  "1 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.
   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."

Spurgeon gives us perhaps the healthy balance in his commentary on verse two:

"It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows. Because the Lord is mainly to be rested in, all carking care is mere vanity and vexation of spirit. We are bound to be diligent, for this the Lord blesses; we ought not to be anxious, for that dishonours the Lord, and can never secure his favour. Some deny themselves needful rest; the morning sees them rise before they are rested, the evening sees them toiling long after the curfew has tolled the knell of parting day. They threaten to bring themselves into the sleep of death by neglect of the sleep which refreshes life. Nor is their sleeplessness the only index of their daily fret; they stint themselves in their meals, they eat the commonest food, and the smallest possible quantity of it, and what they do swallow is washed down with the salt tears of grief, for they fear that daily bread will fail them. Hard earned is their food, scantily rationed, and scarcely ever sweetened, but perpetually smeared with sorrow; and all because they have no faith in God, and find no joy except in hoarding up the gold which is their only trust. Not thus, not thus, would the Lord have his children live. He would have them, as princes of the blood, lead a happy and restful life. Let them take a fair measure of rest and a due portion of food, for it is for their health. Of course the true believer will never be lazy or extravagant; if he should be he will have to suffer for it; but he will not think it needful or right to be worried and miserly. Faith brings calm with it, and banishes the disturbers who both by day and by night murder peace." (From Spurgeon's Treasury of David)