Being a child of God shouldn’t be exhausting, but by most Sunday afternoons, I desperately need a nap! However, in the past few years, I’ve been learning to truly REST. Not the Sunday-afternoon-nap variety, when you wake up feeling worse than you did beforehand. I’m talking about making an effort to achieve the regular practice of rest and recovery, and welcoming this GIFT with anticipation.
We as humans are experts at working hard. We boast about how many hours we put into our jobs or ministries. We begin to believe that without our efforts and incredible work ethic, the desired results would never be realized. The alternative example is that of fast food chain Chick-Fil-A who refuses to operate on Sundays. They work six days and rest one (Exodus 20:8-11) regardless the massive revenue opportunities available. Not one single Chick-Fil-A location is open at stadiums hosting professional sporting events on Sundays. They believe, as do I, there is GREATER VALUE in operating only six days each week.
As early as Genesis chapter two, we read that “God blessed the seventh day of the week and separated it as holy, He rested from all his work which He created so that Creation itself could produce.” In the fourth commandment, God directs Israel to follow that model so they could be refreshed physically, emotionally and spiritually. To this day, Israel models Sabbath Rest to the world without fail. It’s a literal staycation every week and I absolutely crave it! I miss it in every possible way when I’m scheduled to work. But if I do miss the Sabbath, I observe 24 hours of rest upon my return home. No business calls or emails, I even try to keep my social calendar clear. It’s one of the purest forms of worship I offer the LORD: I’m declaring that I trust Him for my provision, and not my own efforts. On Friday evenings, to the best of our ability, my family enters this rest, full of joy and peace. “Shabbat Shalom” is how Jewish People greet each other on this day. Literally “Rest Peace” in Hebrew, or as we like to say, “Cease! Peace!”
My body rests. My emotions relax as I trust my material things to the LORD. And my spirit is reminded that my Ultimate Rest is in the finished work of Jesus. I have received the gift of His righteousness, and no amount of striving could have earned His favor anyway.
So I rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him.
