Much Needed Break

Today the topic of Sabbath and rest has been on my mind.

Rest is really a foreign idea to most Americans. We often term it "laziness". Let's start at the beginning: Creation.

"By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done." Genesis 2:2-3

There are two points I want to look at.

Verse 2: God finished the work he had been doing.

He's resting FROM something. We are called to be diligent and thorough in our work, whether at home or at a job - doing it all unto the Lord that we might glorify Him. This is the difference between true rest and laziness. In order to rest, we first need to exert effort.

When the Sabbath is detailed in the bible, it says that absolutely no work is to be done. This extended to cooking and even some forms of playing. I think our modern version of rest is what we call a "vacation". However, we simply vacate one type of work for another. Any time I go on vacation, I often feel I need a few days to rest from it before getting back into the swing of things. This isn't the kind of rest God calls us to. As our Creator, I think he knows what we need. ;)

Verse 2: God BLESSED the seventh day and made it holy.

I believe that there are blessings reserved for those who truly set aside the time to rest from the hectic pace of life and refocus on God. I view Sunday as Sabbath since it is a day of worship for our family, going to church and fellowshipping with other believers. Sunday is also a great time to rest and refocus on the Lord because it helps me start out the work week with a good attitude and refreshment.

This all has me very excited for this coming Sunday. I can't wait to put this to the test and see how God blesses my life.

If you choose to try it out, let me know how it goes!