The Devil Doesn’t Rest (But You Should)
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One Sunday the pastor preached a sermon about the importance of keeping a Sabbath Rest. He mentioned that because Sunday was a busy day for him, he took Mondays off. After the service an older lady confronted him. “I can’t believe the pastor takes a day off. You know, the devil never takes a day off,” she said. The pastor replied, “I know he doesn’t. That’s why I don’t work for him anymore.”
When the children of Israel left Egypt God gave them a gift. “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work … Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.” (Deuteronomy 5:13-15)
God gave them the gift of rest. When they were slaves in Egypt they could not rest, the work was never done. Slave drivers made sure they never had a break. Modern slave drivers come in many shapes and sizes but continue to ensure that we don’t get the rest we need.
In his Kingdom, God gives rest and invites us to trust him with our work and activities, even when everything isn’t finished. Finding rest in a busy modern world is challenging. Despite knowing that we need proper refreshing many people don’t have a good weekly rhythm to keep them healthy.
Time taken to renew ourselves can include some of the following:
- Rest. Not feeling like you must be productive but can simply be present to God and those around you.
- Reflection. Taking a moment to look back at the week. Where was God present and what have you learned? Looking ahead, how can you invite God to be with you in the coming week?
- Relationship. The importance of building relationships with family and friends can’t be overstated. Deep bonds are forged in quantity time and not quality time.
- Recreation. Doing something for fun or enjoyment. Getting out in nature, playing a sport or taking a walk.
Like the children of Israel, we too have been invited to enjoy God’s rest. He created us and he knows what we need. Accepting his invitation is a sign of wisdom.