Rest can be an oft neglected aspect of life. We live in a fast-paced world, filled with expectations and obligations to varied degrees that often require our constant attention and effort. Life brings with it various commitments at school, in church, at work or to family.  Also, on the more negative side, the preeminence that career advancement has been given makes it a common practice for many to give a good amount of their hours in a week to work. Workaholism has morphed into an acceptable and even expected work ethic. With such a pace of life today rest can easily become secondary for most people. Maybe it has even for you.

What would be rarer than the actual act of rest is to think of it in biblical terms. To posit that scripture is concerned with our physical rest may seem like a reach for some.  This can partially be because of a faulty view that God is concerned only with the spiritual and not the physical. Additionally, it can be that in looking forward to eternity and glorified bodies some Christians see no importance to pay attention to their physical body.

But is this the case? Is the issue rest of any importance in scripture? Does God care if we rest? Is there any spiritual relevance to rest?  Briefly, in this article, it is my contention that the answer to each of these is in the affirmative. Let’s look at some of the reasons why.

• A Scriptural Pattern of Rest

And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. (Genesis 2:2)

We see God resting on the seventh day of creation. After creating all things and seeing that they were good God rests. Now, it is important to clarify something here. God doesn’t rest because he is tired or needs to rejuvenate his strength. He is God almighty. Isaiah 40:28 makes clear that God is incapable of growing faint or weary.  What then does it mean that he rested? The Hebrew word ‘shabat’ used here mainly communicates cessation of work. This coupled with the context communicates God’s rest as a cessation of work rather than a reinvigoration of strength.

It is on this basis that later the Sabbath day is given as a day of rest (Exodus 20:8-11). Though we do not observe the Jewish Sabbath as it has found its fulfillment in Christ, there is a pattern of rest set here for us that is worth retaining, a day of rest. We see a rhythm of working six days and resting on the seventh. Though not for purposes of keeping a sabbath law rest at least one out of the seven days a week is good and biblical pattern of rest.

 

• An Acknowledgement of Our Finiteness

Rest is an acknowledgment of our finiteness. Finiteness means naturally as human beings we have limitations. There is only so much we can do at any given point. Our physical, mental, and emotional capacities are not unlimited. We are creatures and as creatures we are finite.

You see, the only one who is infinite is our creator God. There is a creator-creature distinction here. While we as creatures have limitations, he has no limitations. While we get tired, he does not (Isaiah 40:28). While we need to replenish our strength, God has no such need. That while we need sleep God doesn’t sleep (Psalms 121:4). While we can only obtain and retain a limited amount of knowledge God knows all things (1 John 3:20) and his understanding is beyond measure (Psalms 147:5). He is the only infinite one.

Now, our sinfulness does not respond well to finiteness. We often try, even in subconscious ways, go against this creator-creature distinction. We, finite human beings, often want to be like the infinite God, a sin as old as the garden of Eden. We often live our lives as if we are not finite, yet we are.  Not resting is one of the ways we do this.

Resting acknowledges that we are limited in our capacities. That there is only so much we can do at any given point in time. That we need to replenish our strength. That we need to have an adequate cessation of work. That we are not infinite, only God is. By doing this we acknowledge what we are as creatures, finite.

Beloved, you are not God. You are not infinite. You need rest. Denying yourself that is denying a biblical reality. While the world often tries to pursue a form of infiniteness, pushing their capacities as much as possible, the believer should, while still being diligent, live in acknowledgement of their finiteness and thus make room for adequate and consistent rest.

 

• Good Stewardship of Our Body.

A steward is one who is given something which he is to take care of. For example, if I leave you my farm to manage on my behalf you will be a steward. The expectation is that you will take good care of it for me. It is something that I would require an account of from you.

The same principle can be applied to our bodies. As with everything else, the body is something God has given us and therefore not our own. A proper view of our bodies sees them as something God expects us to steward. Thus, we are expected, as much as we can, to take good care of our bodies. One of the ways we can do this is by giving our bodies adequate and consistent rest.

Our bodies get weary and tired. Good stewardship would require that we make sure that the weary body gets some rest to replenish strength. Additionally, denying our body rest especially for a long period of time opens us up to a variety of complications. Knowingly and actively doing this is not being good stewards of this earthly vessel God has given us.

Let us thus be good stewards of the bodies God has given us by giving ourselves the opportunity to rest.

 

• The Idolatry of Work and Productivity

We live in a world that has made an idol of work and productivity. Work is not sinful; it is God-ordained. Productivity is not a bad thing either. Nevertheless, as is typical of human beings, we make idols of the good things that God gives us. This has been the case with work.

Work has been put on a pedestal taking the place of God for some. It is a god that constantly demands our time and effort. It is for many such an important thing that things that should be more important, such as family, are often neglected. Even for believers, church attendance, the reading of God’s word and prayer are often neglected for the purposes of work. It is a good gift that has become so preeminent that it leaves no room for the enjoyment of other good gifts that God has given us.

In such an atmosphere then it is an expected result that rest will be neglected too. Theologian David T Williams counsels us never to be so bound to any activity that we cannot rest from it regularly. He further states that if anything consumes us to the point that we cannot set it down, it is an idol. Our attitude towards rest is not just of physical benefit but also of spiritual profit as it can be a revealer of our heart’s idols.

Dear Saint, check your heart. Have you bought into the idolatry of work and productivity that the world is selling? Have you done it so much so that you no longer enjoy God’s good gift of rest? Have you so idolized work and productivity that even when your body is crushing under the weight of tasks because you are finite you still deny yourself rest? Your denying of yourself rest could point to this form of idolatry in your heart. Examine yourself and if so, repent.

 

• Rest As An Act of Trust.

Rest also is an act of trust. A resistance to rest can be built on an anxiety to let things go. One can fear that when they rest things will fall apart. We can have this feeling that we have to constantly be on top of things otherwise if we leave them be to rest, they will crumble,

Resting is an act of trust in the sovereign Lord who holds all things. It is in a way saying that you trust that God will take care of stuff while you rest. That He will take care of you while you rest. It is an acknowledgment that it is not your busyness or activity that keeps you, but it is God who does. In resting we trust that the God who loves us and knows our needs even before we ask for them will take care of us while we rest. We need not be anxious. We can rest. Dear Saint, you can rest.

 

• Rest As It Points Us to God.

By releasing us from all other business, [rest leads us] to more readily apply our minds to the creator of the world. In short, it is a sacred calling that snatches people from the world’s distraction in order to dedicate them entirely to God.

John Calvin

In the milieu of activities, it is possible to forget what’s most important, God. We can get so lost is activity that we do not pause to think of our wonderful God, to meditate on Him and to relish his goodness and grace. We can get so lost in activities that we neglect the means of grace that make him more known to us; prayer, reading of God’s word and the fellowship of believers.

Through rest our physical, mental, and emotional strengths are replenished and we can be more capable to focus on or Lord. Through rest we can look away from the gains of our labor and with more profundity focus on the pearl of great price.  Rest helps us shift our focus from created things to the creator. Rest helps us pause and consider God. O dear Saint, rest. Rest and let it be a means through which you find rest in Him.

 

Exceptions and Cautions

I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge given how dynamic life is sometimes consistent and adequate rest is difficult to maintain or not possible to have. It could be that you are raising a young baby and sleep is not something you can get within a preferred and/or consistent level. There could be a season where there are several tasks to perform that necessitate prolonged hours. These and other situations like them do exist and it is important to acknowledge them when considering this topic.

Nevertheless, even in such circumstances it is important to find ways to mitigate. Our finiteness does not cease to exist in these moments and the stewardship of our bodies is still required of us. Do not relinquish a proper attitude towards rest because circumstances have changed but seek ways to rest even amid your present circumstances. Even in strenuous circumstances let us strive to get pockets of time to rest as much as we can with the acknowledgement that rest is something we need and seek to make room for it.

It is also important to put in a caution here. In the name of rest, one can sink into slothfulness. One can become the sluggard who turns on the bed like a door on its hinges (Prov 26:14) and doesn’t want to go out because there is a ‘lion in the streets’ (Prov 22:13). Do not let laziness sneak its way into your life under the guise of resting. Scripture has some choice words for the lazy (Prov 12:24; Prov 24:30-34; 2 Thessalonians 3:10). Don’t let that be you.

Rest does not equate to laziness. In fact, the very essence of rest is that you are ceasing from work to replenish strength. It is folly to conflate the two, but such is the sinful folly of our hearts that we must be cautious of. Rest, yes, but do not become a lazy bone.[1]

 

Rest In Its Pointing to Eternity.

Our need for rest points to eternal rest in different ways. I’ll pick one. Rest is a reminder of our finiteness in these earthly bodies. It points us to the fallenness of our bodies. To the curse that was given in Genesis 3 of sweat and toil to get produce (Genesis 3:19).  We are therefore daily remined to even more look forward to the eternal rest that await us believers.  Where free from this fallen world of toil and strife we shall be. Where we shall be with glorified bodies that shall not know the strain and exhaustion we feel here. Where not only our bodies but our souls shall find rest for, we shall be in the presence of our savior. Oh, what a wonderful day that will be!

But to you who yet does not believe in Christ you do not have this day waiting for you. Instead, what will be eternal rest for the believer will be eternal torment for you. You have sinned against a holy God who must punish sin. The only way is through Jesus Christ (John 14:6). He takes the punishment for your sins that in him you may be counted righteous before God (2 Cor 5:21). This is only if you believe in him (John 3:18; Acts 16:31). Believe, O Sinner, believe in Him and you will be saved. Oh, you who are weary and troubled, weighed down by sin, look to the savior who says ‘Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest’ (Matt 11:28). Turn to Him and find eternal rest!

 

Footnote:

[1] This is a subject I shall explore more extensively in a follow-up article.