A Day of Rest (For the Weary)

(Stock photo)

 “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).

According to a 2017 study by the World Health Organization, an estimated 264 million adults worldwide are negatively affected by anxiety in some form or fashion. In the United States, anxiety is the most common mental disorder affecting 40 million people (Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 2020). Finally, the WHO found that the prevalence of all mental disorders increased by 50% worldwide from 416 million to 615 million people between 1990 and 2013.When I look at the empirical data of our time – meaning data that I gain through my own personal experience – I see similar trends. More and more people are feeling stressed, anxious, and flat-out busy. The world seems like it’s moving faster and faster and faster… and we can’t keep up with it.

I wonder: wouldn’t we all benefit from observing God’s created day of rest? In Genesis, long before Christ appeared in Bethlehem and long before God chose Abraham to be the father of his chosen people, God established a day of rest for his entire creation for all of time. God purposely created and then modeled for humanity a day of rest, a ceasing from work, in order to recuperate. God certainly wasn’t tired, but he knew we would be!

I think if more people observed the day of rest our world would be less anxious and stressed. As a follower of Christ, we have much more to benefit from our Lord’s Day (Sunday) than simply physical rest. We worship God and take time each week to be still before him. Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing (Hebrews 10:25). Encourage your co-workers to take a break as well, and invite them to come and see what the Lord is doing at your local church this upcoming Sunday.


"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Jesus).

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Danger of Entitlement

Image
(Image courtesy of http://pixgood.com.) As I said in yesterday's post, I have been coaching an elementary-aged basketball team for the last month or so. Last night was our last practice, so I decided to do it the old "Cougar Camp" way and have competitions with prizes awarded to the winners. ("Cougar Camp" is a week-long, summer baseball camp in my hometown for elementary school kids that my dad has organized for over a decade. Prizes are awarded each day to kids who win competitions or display great character.)
Read more

Election Season Necessitates the Gospel

Image
(Image courtesy of Associated Press.) It is certainly election season, and we as Christians ought to pray. Not only should we pray for the salvation of lost souls in the land where we live, but I think it is our responsibility to vote. It is a liberty that God has given to us, so we ought to steward this duty well. If I were being honest (which I will be), I am a follower of the Constitution Party. The Constitution is one of the greatest, civic documents ever written, and the Founding Fathers did an excellent job in defining the role of government. The problem is the Constitution is rarely obeyed today.
Read more

Are We Living in the Last Days?

Image
(Image courtesy of davidjeremiah.blog).  “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons…” (1 Timothy 4:1). When I was a senior in high school, I went to an FCA football camp at Taylor University. My parents dropped me off; I didn’t know a single person, although the camp was filled with a couple hundred boys my age. The unique part of the experience is that I was one of maybe a handful of light-skinned folks. The rest of my fellow campers were from Chicago public school systems; someone had paid their way to attend. Many didn’t know the Lord, but it was a great opportunity for them – and for me.
Read more