We live in a busy world that makes you feel irresponsible if you take a day off to rest. Our work week has consumed Sundays to make the non-stop selling of goods more important than what is actually “good” for us. Remember when we were younger and we were exploding with energy, that as we have grown older we often reflect on fondly, wondering where that energy went. It is no coincidence that as a child we got enough rest, we had parents that made sure of it. Now as we have grown older, we often neglect this very important part of our life. We need more rest.
And yet, we march on like we can just keep on continuing to burn our candles from both ends and escape the eventual repercussions. God specifically left us a day of rest, not for him, for us. Your rest is important, and God is the final authority to seek on if it is “OK” to take a day off. It is more than OK – it is important.
We live in a world that never sleeps, everything and everyone is busy. We go to sleep with a phone on our nightstand, that even while we sleep, keeps our mind busy. We watch TV or read until we fall asleep too, stimulating our minds every waking hour of every single day. Our lives center around our work, whatever that may be, the pursuit of financial security often tops our list. This pursuit can come at the expense of our health because God told us that we most assuredly need a day of rest.
Does the day of rest then become an act of faith? That you can honestly say, inwardly that your finances are in God’s hands, not your own. That God never goes back on his word, and it specifically says that we were designed to need a day of rest. You can trust Him, if you are obedient, he will take care of your financial needs. We see many people with sicknesses and diseases related directly to stress. We try to blame our diets for this but I think we need to look at the benefit of rest. Our rest is important and needs to be taken seriously. We must realize that God didn’t create it as a sidenote or an afterthought to creation – it is an important part of God’s divine plan. Rest is something we need to do – weekly. An entire day to do nothing but relax and enjoy our life.
Do you get enough rest? If not, why? Do you feel like being disobedient to this request of God benefits you or affects you adversely? Can you trust God to take care of you if you obey Him? Are there things that keep you busy and separated from a day of rest that you could sacrifice to be more obedient in this area?
Dear Lord,
Rearrange my schedule and help me to have a true day of rest. Allow my body to heal from the stress that I often overload it with. Let my nervous system heal from the overstimulation I often expose it to. Lord, help me to have a quiet day each week in which I can meditate on your Word and enjoy the simple pleasure of a stress-free day. Let me develop a new attitude that places a day of rest at the forefront of my priorities. Lord, remove any guilt I feel about doing what you have told me to do. Help me learn to rest my body, soul, and mind so that I can be a healthy and productive child of God. Thank you, Lord, for reminding me daily that you care for me and have set up a system to keep me healthy and well. Thank you, Jesus, for all you do.
In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.
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