Last night I put my head on my pillow, and what do you think happened? Yes, of course. My mind started to wander. This time it wandered all the way back to grade school.
One of the best things about grade school was recess. You remember, don’t you? That relatively short break we were given during our hours of study. When I was in grade school a brief recess, usually about fifteen minutes long, occurred during the morning. We also enjoyed a more extended recess at lunchtime. I don’t know about you, but we would eat our lunch quickly so we could get outside to play. Sometimes it was basketball. Sometimes softball. Other times we simply ran around the playground with no particular goal. My reminiscence brought back memories of four close friends, Steve, Warren, Robbie, and Mark. The five of us spent much of our recess time together (and stayed mostly out of trouble). Recess was a time of fun and enjoyment.
But what happened when we grew older leaving our grade school days behind? No more recess! What’s up with that? We attended classes all day! No more morning or lunchtime breaks. Then we graduated, and I can tell you that recess was never part of my workday schedule.
Even our vacations are jam packed. We get one or two weeks off work, and we travel as quickly as we can to arrive at our destination. Once there, we pack our time as tightly as possible with activity. Then what do we usually say when we get back to work? “I had to come back to work to get some rest!”
The Meaning of Rest
I really think we have missed the point when it comes to rest. Our lives are filled with so many distractions, activities, and busyness that we have forgotten how to relax. We aren’t even able to sit quietly for a few moments. When we get in the car, arrive home, or go out for a walk, what’s the first thing we do? We turn on some type of noise.
Our lack of rest (from noise, from distraction, from busyness, from go, go, go), affects all areas of our life. It affects our work, our family, and even our time with God. For many, daily quiet time with the Lord is not part of their daily schedule. There’s just no time! Or if a quiet time exists, it’s generally full of noise and distraction.
This is not God’s plan. It’s not good for our well-being, nor is it good for our children and grandchildren who are witness to our daily choices.
God’s Design for Rest
I want to encourage you to take a moment to refresh your memory concerning the Creation account. Before going on, read the account in Genesis 1:1 – 2:3. Recall that for six days, God created. He worked on day one, day two, day three, all the way through day six. Then He rested.
Most of us remember the progression from our days in Sunday School. God worked for six days. Then He rested on the seventh.
But there’s more here about rest if we just look a little closer. Notice when Adam was created. On the sixth day. Now, when was the day of rest? On the seventh. Adam’s very first day was a day of rest. He rested. Then he worked.
God’s plan for us includes rest. He wants us to perform our jobs well. He wants our relationships to be vibrant and full of health. But is this possible when we limp from day to day in a state of utter exhaustion? I know when I’m tired, I’m grumpy and no fun to be around. When I’m fatigued, my efforts are lacking.
Perhaps it’s time for us to step into God’s plan for rest. Make the time. Schedule rest. Be intentional. Don’t allow excuses for missing rest. Turn off the noise for an hour or two. Take a nap. Go for a quiet walk. Sit by a lake. Observe a Sabbath. Take a vacation (but schedule some periods of rest).
Learn to work out of your rest as Adam did, rather than continually trying to rest (or recover) from work and busyness. You need it. Your family needs it. God desires it for you.
