When Was the Last Time You Took a Break?

Rest, the mere word stirs up a variety of emotions within us.  We long to rest, gain refreshment, and feel revitalized, however there simply never seems to be enough hours in the day to complete our work and gain adequate rest for our bodies and souls. 

I used to believe this myth (primarily in high school) as I scurried through life trying to complete my homework, work at my job, and compete in sporting competitions/practices.  Despite my best efforts I would fall asleep exhausted only to wake up the next morning feeling even more tired.  This pattern continued until a wise professor in college gave us an assignment in time management.  For seven days, we were to note how we spent our time, hour by hour, and then write a reflection paper on what we discovered at the conclusion of the experiment.  I remember reflection upon the notes of how I spent my time, only to find that I was wasting a significant amount of time primarily on video games and watching movies.  When we began to discuss this assignment our professor emphasized the need for not only time management but also for rest.  He challenged us to work diligently during six days of the week, in order to take a Sabbath on the seventh day.  He cited two particular passages from the Bible, the creation story where God rested on the seventh day and the Ten Commandments.  In those commandments, we see that God instructs the nation of Israel, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 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” (Exodus 20:8-9).  After completing this assignment, I remember diligently trying, as I still do today to take a Sabbath at least one day a week.  While this is a weekly challenge sometimes, it is necessary to refresh our bodies and our souls.

            This past week, I asked our students how many of them try to take a little bit of time for rest and rejuvenation.  The answer stunned me as many of them cited that they could not take time to rest because of the quantity of homework they had, the demands of their sporting teams/band/choir/extracurricular activities, boyfriends/girlfriends, or other demands that constantly cried out for their attention.  I have to admit that I was saddened by the message that our world is sending to this generation, which to me seems to be work harder and faster (all the while neglecting your own limitations) in order to achieve more status/rewards.  This approach to life truly discourages me as we should be taking time for rest.

Today, I would like to leave you with a question to consider about your relationship with God and to discuss with your students.  “How do you define rest?”  As you wrestle with this question I challenge you to think about if you are trying to leverage God against Himself and what steps you could take more accurately align your use of the name of God with what God truly represents.  Our story with God started over 3,500 years ago when Moses had a conversation with God on the side of a mountain, in which God asked Moses one simple question, “Will you trust Me?”  We are given that same opportunity today as we remember “God can be trusted to provide.”