Resting in the LORD

Slowly but surely I have been making progress on little projects around our house.  There's been ongoing patching and painting, setting pavers, improving drainage and recently I have been constructing a small retaining wall.  Between ongoing maintenance, church-related work and projects around the house, it has been a very busy season of methodically chipping away at tasks with slow, almost undiscernible progress.

After I set forms on Saturday to pour concrete, the thought crossed my mind to do a bit of concreting on Sunday afternoon to have a jump on Monday's tasks.  A conversation I had yesterday at church gave me pause, however, as I was reminded how the things we do--or choose to wait to do--can be done unto the LORD.  Growing up, as a family we always abstained from doing physical labour on Sunday beyond going to church morning and night.  This was something I carried over into my working career as a witness for Jesus in the workplace, that when interviewing for a role I explained I would not work on Sundays.  If it meant being passed over for a job, so be it.  Going to church and setting time aside to honour God as a family on Sunday was a bigger priority than making extra money or finishing a task that could be done Monday.

While Christians are not under any obligation to keep the Sabbath according to the Law of Moses because Jesus is our Sabbath rest (Col. 2:16-17), it is a blessing to sacrifice potential progress to honour God.  Each believer can be led by the Holy Spirit to honour God by the labour we do on Sundays or the tasks we leave idle.  Jesus is the LORD of the Sabbath, and He also rules over us.  It is clear the children of Israel were slack to observe the Sabbath according to Law, and God noticed this and brought judgment upon them.  Thus we can be certain as Christians there are times to labour with our hands, and there are also times to rest--even if we are in a hurry to finish a job.  Completing one job inevitably leads to new tasks cropping up, so neglecting to rest our weary bodies or burdened minds can be easily justified.

You might think, "I don't need rest.  I'm not tired and have lots to do."  Consider what Genesis 2:1-3 says, "Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. ² And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. ³ Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made."  It was not weariness or fatigue that prompted God to rest, for He does everything without effort or breaking a sweat.  Knowing our frame and for our sakes God rested on the seventh day when all His work of creation was finished.  Jesus taught, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" (Mark. 2:27).  God introduced rest into a week that had six other days full of labour, and we are wise to follow His example with intent to honour Him.  God made labour and rest profitable, and blessed are those who rest in Him.