Sabbath pt.1
"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy."
Exodus 20:8-11
We live in what one writer called the Age of Exhaustion. Many of us testify to a feeling of tiredness that we have almost begun to expect as normal. But is it normal? Is it because we work too much? Or is there more going on? And what do we do about it?
Well, big questions. Beyond the ability of one or two blog posts to answer. However, let's be ambitious and attempt first, an explanation of why we might be exhausted and on Tuesday, a beginning of a solution. So, why are we exhausted?
I want to give you three reasons. Firstly, because of our rate of change. Technology, culture and life in general has changed so dramatically in the previous few decades and we are struggling to cope.
Secondly, our lives have become more complex. Our jobs are technical, specialised and require admin as well as skill. We have choices in every sphere from what we have for breakfast, to what we will do for fun, to what we will listen to and where we will shop. We are constantly forced to make decisions and often they aren't simple.
Finally, and this I think is the big one. We have inverted our understanding of the work/rest relationship. We now work to rest rather than rest to work. Why is this exhausting? Because it's cutting against our grain. We were designed to rest for good work.
Could it be that we aren't exhausted simply because we are working too hard? Don't get me wrong, I think many are working hard. But what if it's not about the hours worked. But about the change, the complexity and how we see ourselves and our work.
Something to ponder.
For Today:
Pray:
Exodus 20:8-11
We live in what one writer called the Age of Exhaustion. Many of us testify to a feeling of tiredness that we have almost begun to expect as normal. But is it normal? Is it because we work too much? Or is there more going on? And what do we do about it?
Well, big questions. Beyond the ability of one or two blog posts to answer. However, let's be ambitious and attempt first, an explanation of why we might be exhausted and on Tuesday, a beginning of a solution. So, why are we exhausted?
I want to give you three reasons. Firstly, because of our rate of change. Technology, culture and life in general has changed so dramatically in the previous few decades and we are struggling to cope.
Secondly, our lives have become more complex. Our jobs are technical, specialised and require admin as well as skill. We have choices in every sphere from what we have for breakfast, to what we will do for fun, to what we will listen to and where we will shop. We are constantly forced to make decisions and often they aren't simple.
Finally, and this I think is the big one. We have inverted our understanding of the work/rest relationship. We now work to rest rather than rest to work. Why is this exhausting? Because it's cutting against our grain. We were designed to rest for good work.
Could it be that we aren't exhausted simply because we are working too hard? Don't get me wrong, I think many are working hard. But what if it's not about the hours worked. But about the change, the complexity and how we see ourselves and our work.
Something to ponder.
For Today:
- Would you say you are exhausted or at least tired most of the time? Why?
- Do you work to rest or rest to work?
- What do you think the solution to our exhaustion might be?
Pray:
- Praise God that He does not get tired or weary.
- Give thanks for Jesus Christ who endured the hardest of tasks for our sake.
- Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others honour Him with your work and rest.
Posted in Exodus
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