Disciplined Rest

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

What It Is Speaking to Me

Why did God rest on the seventh day? I mean, He rested. It couldn't have been because He was tired. So why? Could it be as an act of intentional rhythm? Could He be modeling what He wants us to do? If we are made in His image, then to follow His pattern would make sense, right?

We live in hustle culture. It is all about how much we can produce. How much output do we have? If tithing is trusting God for 100% of your provision with 90% of your income, then similarly, taking a Sabbath rest is trusting that you can achieve 100% of what you need to produce with only 86% of your time. It keeps a check on hustle culture and aligns us with God's culture.

And while most believers affirm a creation order and that we should observe the Sabbath day, how well do we do it? We attend church (hopefully), but what happens next? Actual work? Sports? House and yard work? Any other myriad of activities? Don't misunderstand me — it is certainly not my place to be the Sabbath police. The only question you should ask yourself is: are you resting? Do you go into Monday completely exhausted from Sunday? If that is a regular occurrence for you, it might be time to reconsider your Sunday schedule.

Do you slow down and reflect on the last week? God reflected on His creation week and said, "It was good." Maybe you can't look back on this past week and say that exactly, but you can certainly look back and say, "God was good." Do you look ahead to the coming week and pray, asking God for guidance and direction as you head into tomorrow?

Taking a real rest in a society that worships at the altar of busy means we have to show real self-control. We often think self-control means more effort. But sometimes it means the self-control to stop.

Stop. Rest. God is good.

What Is It Saying to You?

How well do you rest?

Do you worship at the altar of busy?

How do you reflect on the last week?

Where do you make time for God in your rest?

What Are We Going to Do About It?

Protect real rest today (tomorrow, whenever you observe your Sabbath). Close the laptop, lock the phone, sit outside. Stop working. Let it be Sabbath. Reflect.