Sanctuary: Cultivating a Quiet LifeParaugs

Day #1: The Grace of Good Work

I didn’t wake up one day and decide to give the quiet life a try. My journey toward cultivating a different way to live was birthed in a season when my life was anything but quiet.

I had all the signs of being a workaholic:

• I regularly chose work over sleep.

• My stress levels were constantly elevated. (Hello, cortisol.)

• I was all work and no play; seriousness pervaded my mood every day.

• And here’s the real kicker: I liked it. In fact, I loved it.

I find deep satisfaction in a job well done, and I look forward to the next project. But my work pace was taking a toll not only on my health but on my relationships as well. Something needed to change, so I did what I do best: I conducted research. I launched myself into a personal study on the theology of work.

How does God feel about work? What does the Bible say about work?

I think my inclination to overwork revealed a hidden lack of trust. Somewhere deep inside, I felt that I had to work extra hard just in case God didn’t come through, so I needed the manna reminder.

God literally provided food for his people each day; they never had to toil ceaselessly to acquire what they needed. The manna inside the ark of the covenant, in the innermost part of the sanctuary, was a steady reminder of God’s faithfulness to provide.

When I remember that God is the true provider, I can relinquish my tendency to overwork, and I can embrace the God-ordained rhythms of rest because I know that provision ultimately isn’t up to me. Then I am free to enjoy my work for the gift of grace that it is.

To break the cultural conformity that had seeped into my work life, I asked God for forgiveness for trying to work my way into self-sufficiency. Then I started making changes, and many of those changes involved establishing biblical limits on each day.

Above all, I made the Sabbath a priority again, which is definitely prescribed in Scripture (Exodus 20:8-11). When we limit our work to six days a week and receive the seventh day for rest, we honor God as the ultimate provider.

Cultivate

Maybe you already do this, but one of the simplest ways in which we can cultivate a quiet life is by setting for ourselves a consistent bedtime and sticking to it. This may seem silly or even juvenile. But our hearts experience a deep sense of settledness when we can reach the end of the work day and say, “Thank you, Lord, for this day. I now leave the rest of the work waiting for me until tomorrow, for I know that I am not the real provider here; you are.” Then let sleep come in the sweetest of ways as a gift the Lord provides (Psalm 127:2).