Shalom and thank you for joining us for our last episode through this series on work, where we’ve looked at the biblical perspective of work. As we have looked at what work is about, today, we end this by looking at how we need to have a rhythm of rest and work. Genesis chapter 2, verses 2 and 3, ‘By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so, on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 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.’ In Genesis chapter 2, we see that God both works and rests. God in His omnipotence, clearly doesn’t need to rest, especially for reasons of either tiredness or physical exhaustion. He doesn’t need to rest so that He can become more productive, but He clearly had something to tell us, something to share with us. God created us to work but He also created us to rest because He knows that you and I need to rest after work. Some of the verses that we read in our passage establishes a pattern of work and rest, a rhythm of work and rest and to do one without the other is a deviation from God’s created order. Taking the time to rest is essential to our way of life. Our bodies were made to rest so we do not need to feel guilty when we rest or when we take sometime off to rejuvenate, to recuperate. In fact, that is what rest for, for us to refresh ourselves so we can get back on our feet the next day, so we can be productive the next day. When people lack rest, they suffer physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Physical and mental exhaustion can often lead to emotional volatility, we can feel annoyed, irritable, we can be frustrated. This lack of rets can further escalate even into larger issues. Our relationships can become strained and over time, we see a lack of rest can really bring down our spiritual lives. Our connection/ deep intimacy with God suffers and that often becomes diminished too. Just as work is a gift from God, what we saw earlier on in this series, rets is also a gift. God gave us the sabbath to rest because He knows that you and I need it. Not only is it biblical to rest but it is good for our physical, emotional and mental health. By God’s grace, it is possible to integrate rest and work into the pattern of life that God intends. Let’s pray together, Heavenly Father, thank you for showing us that we need rest. Thank you for demonstrating it for us when you rested. Give us the freedom and the ability to rest after a day’s work and we pray that as we rest, you will refresh and rejuvenate us into being more effective and productive for you and your kingdom, we ask this in your precious name, Amen.

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