Depending on your region of residence, sleep may be viewed as a lazy man’s sport, a luxury, or a key component of health. There are some who will praise you for resting and others who will chastise you for an inadequate use of time. Today’s message is to remind you to esteem God’s word far above man’s opinion. Consider the counsel of your Creator far above the interpretations of the created.
Take time this week to open the Bible and research rest, sleep, and sabbath.
Exodus 31 is our focus in this article. It is a very powerful scripture that speaks to God’s love of skill, excellence, beauty, and rest. Exodus 31 reminds us that we (the created) can do nothing of excellence without the guidance, the counsel, and the anointing of God (the Creator). God imparts to us skillsets with purpose. The purpose is to do great works that glorify God. In Exodus 31, the skillset was craftsmanship. For you, the skillset may be teaching. For someone else, the skillset may be dancing.
In all that you do, give God honor and glory. Remember that God empowers you to be great—to excel. When you are mindful of that truth, you will find it easier to rest. God is in control. Your efforts will become more impactful when you acknowledge God’s sovereignty and the blessing of your limitations.
Some people believe that working hard with minimal to no rest engenders maximum output. Some people believe that going nonstop is how you arrive at the pinnacle of success. Often, they fail to consider success is an amalgamation of factors. One of the key factors is God’s authorization. God can permit your work to produce fruit. Or, God can allow your work to plateau, lack efficacy, and produce no fruit.
God commands us to rest. God’s word charges us to work six days and devote one day to rest. When you rest, you demonstrate faith that God will allow your work to produce the appropriate fruit. Working seven days with no sabbath is an act of disobedience and a demonstration that you do not trust God. When you dishonor the sabbath, you demonstrate a belief that your success is within your power and control. Dishonoring the sabbath is an act of rebellion— it is a sin.
Again, depending on your region of residence, honoring the sabbath in 2024 maybe countercultural. Yet, all creation was charged to honor the sabbath. Yes, all living things are to rest.
In another article, we will deal with the quality of your work. For this week, let’s just re-establish your implementation of a weekly sabbath. Consider:
Are you getting sufficient rest?
What systems, ideologies, or values impact your perspective on rest and sabbath?
How do rest and sabbath differ?