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God's Standard is REST!
by Jo Vivian
The school bell rings its final alert, and everyone breathes a sigh of relief as school is out for the summer. Like any busy mom, your mind settles on a life that is less stressful, slower in pace, and is without the rigged schedule that leaves little room for self. The children envision a world in which life is leisurely, wake-up time and bed time are not governed by alarm clocks and street lights, and homework is now officially a bad word. Does this sound like your home life?
Ok—you say you are single or married without children and long hours in the office (or the home for that matter) are not the most appealing activity in your life, as the long days of summer beckon you to loosen the rigid schedule you’ve lived by for the past 9 months. In lieu of opening the briefcase as a normal evening routine, you meet your girlfriend for a coffee or even a movie during the week. Perhaps you settle into a good book by the pool or any outdoor activity that allows you to enjoy the summer months.
In both cases, no one faults you for taking life a little easier. I would go so far as to say that very few things of importance are neglected and your general mood is lighter, life is more enjoyable and in general there is a reduction in your stress level. So why is it that when summer is over and the kids are back in school that our approach to daily life is so drastically different? It’s almost as though we approach life undeserving of a break, thus pushing ourselves 7 days a week with very little “pamper me”, relaxation time for ourselves.
It makes you say “HMMMMM!” Let’s keep it real—God worked for 6 days and rested on the 7th. Now if it’s good enough for God, it should be good enough for us, yet, in most cases women rarely set aside one day of the week to rest, do nothing, sit down, shut out the world and refresh themselves. God’s standards are not difficult to understand or live by. The commandment is very clear, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it Holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work; But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord God: in it thou shalt not do any work” Ex 20:8-10a KJV. We say that God is omnipotent (all knowing) but we operate as if His set of encyclopedias ended with the letter “P”. Or worse, we believe what God has to say about resting then we put our “but” in God’s way. You know, “but my situation is different”, or “but God understands my life is too busy to take a day of rest”.
Here is a news flash for you—God doesn’t understand! He created your body and knows that without the proper rest it will begin to prematurely decay, i.e., sickness, disease and mental disorders. You owe it to yourself, your children, your husband and most important, God to take a day of rest! Your body is not your own. It was bought with a price. What’s the next step? Simple—allow the Holy Spirit to help you govern your days and before you take on a new project, a good work, or any other distraction, consider this Word from the Lord. She considers a [new] field before she buys or accepts it [expanding prudently and not courting neglect of her present duties by assuming other duties]; with her savings [of time and strength] she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard Prov 31:16 Amp. Practice taking a day of rest by learning to rest in God. He will order your steps as you incline your ear to His instruction. Remember, His ways and thoughts are higher than yours. REST!
