And on the 7th Day he rested

 

It seems to me that everybody I speak to these days is busy, they are busy working, taking their kids to after school clubs and lessons, studying, keeping the house together, and so on…

I too am guilty of this. I have probably said to everyone I have spoken to this week that I feel like my feet haven’t touched the ground.  I have been training on top of my work and have felt particularly these past few weeks that I just haven’t stopped to take a breath and I am tired…really tired.

I am sure you can relate.

It occurred to me that this isn’t healthy for any of us, we are not designed to keep going without some rest and relaxation. We are made in the image of God and even the creator of the universe rested on the 7th day. I read this passage in Genesis this morning and something struck me for the first time. The passage reads,

2 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. Genesis 2 v 2-3

Now the thing that struck me is God blessed the 7th day and made it holy Because on it he rested. God made the 7th day holy because he rested. I find that really interesting, he didn’t make any of the other days, while he worked creating the entire world, holy because of what he had achieved, and let’s face it he achieved great things! He made the day he did nothing, the day he rested the holy day. Isn’t that interesting?

It has put a whole new perspective onto what it is that we put stock in. We are told as children that we should always work hard and do our best, and while that in itself is important, you won’t get far in life by being lazy, but do we also give our children (and ourselves for that matter) the permission to rest? I remember saying to my partner just yesterday evening that I had had a really good day, that it had been so productive, and I felt really positive about it. But when I look back today, I can see that my day, although I achieved a lot, I also gave myself no time at all to rest, to take a breath, I was on the go from the moment I woke up, to the moment I went to bed. On other days, when I have taken some time to do nothing, I have had a sense of guilt that I had wasted the day by not being productive.

And I wonder, is that what God intended for us?

One passage I do love is Matthew 11 v 28,

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

This shows Jesus knowing the people he loves so dearly. He is aware that although it is not good for us, we will wear ourselves out with busyness and burden ourselves with worries, and so he says, when you are in that place, come and I will give you rest.

I am aware that I need to do that today, how about you?

Let’s pray…

  • For all those people who are feeling completely overwhelmed by their workloads, that they will find the time to rest in God’s loving arms for a time and then start again refreshed.
  • For those who feel guilt when they stop to rest for a time

Written by Naomi Ackland, Office Coordinator for Swindon Youth for Christ