A Day of Rest

Whenever I have a day to do nothing in particular I am surprised. I am surprised by how good it is, and I am surprised by how infrequently I make time to do nothing.

In the Old Testament Scripture God has a lot to say about the Sabbath. Over and over He implores His people to “keep the Sabbath” by doing . . . nothing. There are chapters full of regulations that limit what a person is allowed, or not allowed, to do on this day of rest. I have always thought this to be strange. It seems to be overkill.

All day long, everyday, I think about the things that I need to accomplish. I work on earning money, doing chores, finishing tasks, and I rate the success of my day according the how many of these items I can scratch off the to-do list. A day where I accomplish a lot seems valuable and makes me feel good. A day where I only do one or two things seems like a waste. This is why God established so many rules around the Sabbath.

God knows my tendency to try to fill every spare second with work. He also knows my tendency to attach value to accomplishment. The Sabbath says, “You are valuable because of what you are, not for what you can do.”

There is something unexplainably satisfying about rest. It is not simply a vacation that recharges me so that I can go back to work. It is not a day that I can catch up on sleep. It is a day that enhances life and gives me a different outlook.

Do you have a day of rest? A day to do nothing in particular. Try it out.