God Wants You to RestSample

A Time to Stop

God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested . . . -Genesis 2:2

Many believers in Jesus have incorrectly viewed God’s weekly gift of rest as a penalty instead of a reward. “There is too much work to do to stop and rest.” “If I stop and rest, what will happen to my team/family/business?” We have mistakenly connected stopping to rest with being a poor steward, or being lazy.

Genesis 2:3 says that on the seventh day, God “rested from all the work of creating that He had done.” The word rested in Hebrew is shavat, which literally means “ceased.” God stopped creating.

We are often afraid to take a rest because we are afraid of stopping. When you stop working, you start being. But what if you connect your value to the Father by how much you’ve created? It’ll be hard to stop and be.

Under the Mosaic Law, Sabbath is God’s weekly gift to His people. Today, we can still observe the importance of rest by intentionally taking time off from our work. No matter whether our work succeeds or fails, God values us and reminds us through physical rest that He is the creator and sustainer of everything that lasts. To stop and rest after every six days of work is to tell yourself the truth that ultimately you’re not in charge of your life, family, business, or ministry: God is. It’s a model God set for us at the beginning of creation. He finished the work He was doing and He rested. Surely, we can do the same.

Start taking time for Sabbath rest. Don’t focus on the how, just start ceasing one day per week. God will honor you because you are honoring Him.

Nic Lesmeister

What, if anything, hinders you from resting regularly? How will you rest this week?

Creator of all, please help me to pause and cease working so I can rest. Help me enjoy the gift You’ve given me.