Labor and Rest

God has and always will be very intentional about all He does. Darwinism explains the universe coming into being as a result of a giant explosion. Everything eventually came into being from chaos. Those who hold to the “Intelligent Design” concept see order and discipline as the root of all we see within the cosmos. Not only did God create the universe and the planet we call earth, but He also developed a balance of both work and rest for His most prized creation.  

In Exodus 20:9-10, the Scriptures tell us: 

Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.i 

Have you ever wondered why God even ordered this in the first place? I mean, why would God care how much man worked or rested? The fact remains God knows how the human body operates better than any of us. He created us and knows our strengths and limitations. John Stroman, in his book entitled Thunder from the Mountain, writes, “There are universal aspects of this commandment that affect each of us. Notice the essential balance of what he calls a ‘rhythmical week.’” 

This unique command was God’s gift to both management and employee, for men and women. It works for the citizen as well as the sojourner. In fact, God says give the animals a break as well, and, while you’re at it, give the land a rest too (see Exodus 23:10-11). 

As your read the Pentateuch, you see very clearly God’s intent for man to have balance in his life. The need to rest is an integral part of God’s Divine Order for the cosmos. In other words, we acquire a deep sense of satisfaction and fulfillment when we cooperate with God’s intended purpose for creation. When we fail to respect the balance of work, labor, and rest we end up destroying ourselves. 

I believe this command places a real emphasis upon the principle of “wholeness.”  By that, I mean we are never fully complete as humans if we overwork ourselves or if we fail to be productive and become lazy and indifferent. To be whole, we must be balanced. God’s rather simple but deliberate design for mankind is seen in this concept—work hard and get plenty of rest.  

Even though the Old Testament’s command to honor the Sabbath day is not specifically taught in the New Testament, there is still a universal principle behind balancing our work with rest. Alan Fadling in his book An Unhurried Life writes, “The primacy of rest, or Sabbath, is illustrated in the story of creation. The Sabbath is God’s antidote for our hurried, harried pace of life, and gives us the unhurried time of rest.” This sabbatical from work must be woven into the very fabric of our schedules. If not, we will succumb to mental and emotional fatigue. 

Alan Fadling brings another idea to mind when reflecting on God’s intentional desire for man to find rest for his soul. “The gift of a Sabbath day—a day measured not by productivity but by relationship and worship—helps us remember and trust that life is given, not earned.”  

How many folks do you know who allowed work schedules to interfere with their time of worship on the first day of the week and thus neglected time around the Lord’s Table of Remembrance? Their robust work schedule filled with deadlines and promises of more money eclipsed valuable time with family and Christian friends. Fadling also writes, “We err when we try to establish our identity through our work rather than realizing that our identity is shaped and strengthened in the place of Sabbath rest and then expressed in our work.” 

Unfortunately, Western Culture teaches the false ideology which suggests that “stuff satisfies.” The sooner we realize everything belongs to God, even our bodies, then we will be able to be re-directed toward honoring God in our work and in our rest. The writer Rubel Shelly states, “Work and money are too central to our lives to be divorced from the values and assumptions of our faith.” 

It is important to have a drive and dreams. Work is essential to our makeup as human beings. Adam worked and managed the Garden of Eden before he fell. Paul reminds the church at Thessalonica, “If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.” Nobody lived a “grace paced” life better than Jesus. Yet, He too was very intentional in removing Himself from His daily work to commune with God and to rest His soul. If the Son of Man needed to balance work, ministry, and rest for His soul, don’t you think it might be in our best interest to do the same?