Give it a Rest

I missed posting yesterday because of a holiday, which is fairly appropriate given what I want to talk about. Today, I want to address the subject of rest. In our culture, the hard driver who never takes time off and puts in long days without end is lionized. We love people who work too hard and too much. These expectations are often transmitted to people in ministry. Unfortunately, we expect everyone to work until they burn out. This is not a biblical expectation, however. Paul worked hard day and night for sure, but we can’t forget that the Bible orders us to live in God’s rest (Hebrews 4). Living in rest means more than just taking a regular day off to recharge. It means recognizing that it is God who is working to accomplish His purposes in this world. The success and failure of the Kingdom doesn’t depend on us, so relax. We can’t work our way to Heaven, and neither can we work anyone else their either. Work hard, for sure, but don’t forget to live in Sabbath. Not resting is sin (Heb 4:11). A man who fails to recognize his and his family’s need to rest physically and spiritually is not to be looked up to. Don’t be proud about never taking time to recharge and recreate; it’s not what God wants from us.