Are You Tired?
So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.
Hebrews 4:9-10
Yesterday was Labor Day. Do you know why we observe Labor Day? The first unofficial Labor Day was September 5th, 1882 when over 10,000 workers planned to not show up for work to protest long hours and poor working conditions. Most workers then worked long hours often 7 days a week in poor conditions. This was somewhat the norm then.
Today we would never think of working seven days a week over 8-10 hours a day. Most have no more than a 5-day work week with 40 hours a week being the norm, yet we are all so busy and tired. Just ask anyone how their week is going and the common response is, “I am busy”.
Why are we so busy? We think we have to get so many things accomplished. We fill our daily schedule with things we see as critical if they are not done. And we believe our lives will fall apart if one or more of those tasks don’t get completed to the fullest. Maybe it is because we strive to get our daily fulfillment out of what we can accomplish. Maybe we wouldn’t admit it but we often find our value and identity in what we can do. Maybe it is not just more hours of overtime. Maybe it is feeling the need to fill your “non-working” hours with things such as kids' sports practice so you feel like an accomplished parent. Maybe it is always having the tidiest of houses so that everyone will know that you are a perfect homemaker. Maybe it is that you commit to volunteering at some civic activity so that others will regard you as honorable and prominent. All of these things are not bad in themselves but if we are doing them to feel accomplished in our works, we are doing them for the wrong reason.
When God created the heavens and the earth and everything else, including us, in six days, He took the seventh day to rest. God wasn’t tired so He rested. He was finished. That is why He rested. We have this incredible reminder in Hebrews of God’s finished work. It is a reminder that our meager accomplishments will never be enough, no matter how hard we work, how many activities the kids are involved in, or how clean our house is. It is never enough and we need the reminder that our value and identity can never be found in such things. However, when we trust in the finished work of Christ we can truly rest. It is a sure promise God gives us and a command to rest in Him. The work needed for rest for our weary souls is finished.
How rested are you? Are you resting in the finished work of Jesus?
Hebrews 4:9-10
Yesterday was Labor Day. Do you know why we observe Labor Day? The first unofficial Labor Day was September 5th, 1882 when over 10,000 workers planned to not show up for work to protest long hours and poor working conditions. Most workers then worked long hours often 7 days a week in poor conditions. This was somewhat the norm then.
Today we would never think of working seven days a week over 8-10 hours a day. Most have no more than a 5-day work week with 40 hours a week being the norm, yet we are all so busy and tired. Just ask anyone how their week is going and the common response is, “I am busy”.
Why are we so busy? We think we have to get so many things accomplished. We fill our daily schedule with things we see as critical if they are not done. And we believe our lives will fall apart if one or more of those tasks don’t get completed to the fullest. Maybe it is because we strive to get our daily fulfillment out of what we can accomplish. Maybe we wouldn’t admit it but we often find our value and identity in what we can do. Maybe it is not just more hours of overtime. Maybe it is feeling the need to fill your “non-working” hours with things such as kids' sports practice so you feel like an accomplished parent. Maybe it is always having the tidiest of houses so that everyone will know that you are a perfect homemaker. Maybe it is that you commit to volunteering at some civic activity so that others will regard you as honorable and prominent. All of these things are not bad in themselves but if we are doing them to feel accomplished in our works, we are doing them for the wrong reason.
When God created the heavens and the earth and everything else, including us, in six days, He took the seventh day to rest. God wasn’t tired so He rested. He was finished. That is why He rested. We have this incredible reminder in Hebrews of God’s finished work. It is a reminder that our meager accomplishments will never be enough, no matter how hard we work, how many activities the kids are involved in, or how clean our house is. It is never enough and we need the reminder that our value and identity can never be found in such things. However, when we trust in the finished work of Christ we can truly rest. It is a sure promise God gives us and a command to rest in Him. The work needed for rest for our weary souls is finished.
How rested are you? Are you resting in the finished work of Jesus?
Recent
Archive
2024
January
April
May
July
August
2023
March
April
August
No Comments