I am embarrassed to say that when I started thinking about Labor Day I didn’t really know what it represents or why we celebrate it. I just knew that it is a day free from labor – a day we don’t have to go to work. And after researching it, that’s pretty much what it is, along with a celebration of the end of summer, the beginning of football season, and the last day for women to wear white! Well, that one may not apply anymore. It depends on who you ask. (See a more historical, detailed description here.)
But only one day? Only one day out of the year is it o.k. to not work for no other reason except to promote rest? I need more than one day a year!
Rest is obviously important to God since He set creation in place with it as a part of the equation.
“So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.” Genesis 2:1-3 (NLT)
Jesus thought rest was a good idea, too.
“Then Jesus said, ‘Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.’ He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.” Mark 6:31 (NLT)
So why not take a day of rest?
• My interests are more important to me.
In order to have a day of rest there are activities I have to give up. These are activities that take energy away from me and prevent me from feeling rejuvenated for the upcoming week. Running errands and spending time on the Internet are two activities that keep me in a cycle of busyness and cause me to continually think of the work that needs to be done instead of simply focusing on resting.
“Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don’t pursue your own interests on that day, but enjoy the Sabbath and speak of it with delight as the Lord’s holy day. Honor the Sabbath in everything you do on that day, and don’t follow your own desires or talk idly.” Isaiah 58:13 (NLT)
• I am not diligent to complete my work on the other days.
My “rest” is eaten up during the other six days of the week when I waste time on unimportant tasks. I then have to spend the day I set aside to rest to catch up on my undone tasks. This is a true struggle for me. I have to work hard to stay disciplined so that my rest isn’t broken up into small chunks but can be enjoyed in one block of time – a whole day.
“A sluggard’s appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.” Proverbs 13:4 (NLT)
What would a day of rest look like?
I think this is different for each woman depending on her needs and tendencies. For me, my ideal day of rest would look like this:
• No errands or Internet or routine housework
• Serving where needed in the church, community, or home
• Spending quality time with my family
• Spending time outside exercising or just relaxing
• Reading
God’s design was for us to have a day of rest because He knew that we would need it to fulfill His purposes on the other days of the week. He did not create it as a way for us to try to earn our way to Him. It is for our benefit, not His.
“Then Jesus said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!’” Mark 2:27-28 (NLT)
Is it hard for you to have a whole day of rest? What would your ideal day of rest look like?
Leave a Reply