Here in the US, today is Labor Day, a tribute to American workers.
It’s a good week to ponder work.
Genesis 2:3 (NIV)
Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
God did His work of creation and then He rested. The Hebrew word for “rested” is shabath, meaning brought to an end, ceased. Our good God worked and then ceased working.
What do you do when you’re not working?
Good morning, Lord. Teach me to work eagerly, and then rest without guilt. Forgive my reluctance to start or stop working. Help me maintain the right balance, for Your name’s sake, amen.
Taking time to truly rest can sometimes be a challenge (thanks to technology). However, I love spending quality and peaceful time with my children and grandchildren. Your prayer is right on about helping to “maintain the right balance.”
No rest is wrong, and no work misses the mark. There’s lots of space between the two. For me, finding the right balance has been trial and error (actually, more than one error!).