Give Thanks in Rest

While we’ve read that God cares about the work of our hands, He also cares about our rest. Personally, my wiring, upbringing, and the fast-paced world we live in have made resting quite a struggle. If you find yourself in the same boat, let’s be reminded that work is not a bad thing. God created human beings with the mission of ruling and caring for creation. In that, He also created rest. As human beings we were created to do both. 

The struggle to rest is real. King Solomon reminds us in Psalm 127:1, “Unless the LORD builds a house, its builders labor over it in vain; unless the LORD watches over a city, the watchman stays alert in vain.” God’s leading our work will always be the best way. When I don’t rest and allow God to be God, more stress, anxiety, worry, and tiredness follow. 

But being made in God’s image means we can also rest, as God did, giving thanks for the work He has given while also knowing that our heavenly Father is “before all things, and by Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17). We can mimic our Maker by declaring our Sabbath day, our time of rest, as blessed and holy. In Luke 10:38–42, Martha was distracted by her many tasks and became angry when her sister Mary wasn’t helping with them. Jesus reminded Martha—and it’s a helpful reminder for us today—that even the holiest of assignments should be reassessed if their importance outweighs resting at the feet of Jesus and spending quality time with Him. What would it look like to not have to come to the end of ourselves before we decide to take a break? Can we choose to structure our calendars where our bodies are at rest and we’re able to recount God’s goodness and faithfulness? Because all things have been entrusted to Him, we can rest from our God-given work and leave the heavy load and lifting to the One who is all-powerful. 
As followers of Jesus, we are to be set apart. One of the ways we differentiate ourselves from the world we live in is to pause our work and receive rest for our souls and physical bodies. What if we saw our rest as worship instead of weakness? As we turn toward God and His face shines on us and brings peace (Numbers 6:24–26), may we accept the gift of an easy yoke (Matthew 11:28–30), giving thanks as we physically rest from the work of our hands.