Even God took time to rest

God blessed the seventh day and made it special, because, on that day, he rested from his work. Genesis 2:3 (Contemporary English Version)

The old Porgy and Bess tune declares, “Summertime, and the livin’ is easy.” That was written when life was much different than today. We always hope that summer will be a time to kick back and relax a little, but usually it ends up like most other summers, with lots to do and time flying past far too quickly.

But while we may bemoan the fast pace of summer with all of its chores, the packing and unpacking for vacations, and repeated trips to Little League games, it would be good to stop and think about “easy living.” So, let’s get some perspective from God’s Word about the importance of rest.

It can’t go unnoticed that God Himself rested after assembling the universe. Knowing that time to rest was important for the people He created, God instituted the Sabbath so that we would get the point that no one can work without a break along the way. Tanks that run on “weary” all the time soon lack the stamina to do well spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and relationally. Even Jesus, with more sermons to preach, more people to heal, and more tasks to accomplish, often went apart to rest a while.

I am not sure why it is that some of us feel guilty or unfulfilled if we are not busy all the time. It’s important to realize that not everything needs to be done right now. It may be more important to sit back with a tall glass of iced tea and contemplate the beauty of nature and the greatness of our God who is as faithful to us as the dependability of the seasons. As the hymn says, in “summer and winter and springtime and harvest ... join with all nature in manifold witness to Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.”

So carve out a little easy livin’ time this week and refresh your heart and spirit with blessedness instead of business. And don’t worry — the chores will still be there. They aren’t going anywhere!

This story was originally published July 24, 2018 at 11:32 AM.