A Rhythm of Work and Rest

Do you rest from work, or work from rest?

I had always thought about rest as a necessary part of recouping from work, but I hadn't really thought about what working from a place of rest might be...

Rest from Work

and 

Work from Rest

God's way is to have a rhythm of Work and Rest. Rest is not merely intended to be solely a means of regenerating from the activity of work; the rest God desires for people is twofold:
1) a time to enjoy the fruit of our labors, and
2) a time set aside to be intentional about enjoying our
    relationship with the creator.

To extend grace, enjoy this day, be present, breathe deeply, show gratitude, live with intention, be fearless and try new things - requires some space... first to be present with God in preparation to be present for others.  

When living in a state of busyness or hurry,
these things are difficult, if not impossible. 

God had liberated his people from slavery in Egypt, and he is tying sabbath rest as freedom from slavery.  
“Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. 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, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do. 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. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.  DEUTERONOMY 5:12-15

I can hear God saying "Come, spend time with me, I rescued you and I love you."  And more than that, by spending time with me, you'll approach your work being mindful of my goodness, regardless of the circumstances.  

Someone once asked, "what is your satisfaction level with God?"  Really???  How satisfied am I with God?  The question really impacted me and continues to years later!  

When we are running from activity to activity, work is pressing, family is pressing, the routines of daily living are pressing, where do we have margin?  What space is available to just be?  To breathe?  To enjoy?  To truly rest!

Sabbath rest isn't another task,

it's an invitation to enjoy!

Our Lord invites us to rest.  We don't have to be slaves to work.  God may be reminding us that anyone who cannot rest from their work is really a slave... that's a new and hard thought!  God rested and demonstrates for us that there is time to enjoy the fruit of our labors.  

Tim Keller writes about three types of rest: 

• Contemplative rest - Prayer and worship are a critical part of Sabbath rest, from any perspective. Regular time for devotion, reading the Scripture, and listening to God forms the basis for inner rest and provides time away from the more exhausting exertions of life.
• Recreational rest - Re-Creation... Find recreation that doesn't exhaust and really refreshes.
• Aesthetic rest - Expose yourself to works of God’s creation that refresh and energize you, and that you find beautiful. This may mean outdoor things. It may mean art—music, drama, and visual art. God looked around at the world he made and said it was good, so aesthetic rest is necessary for participating in God’s Sabbath fully.

My prayer for you is that you find enjoyment in your Sabbath rest that flows into your work!

Let me know how it's going for you...