God created the world around you in such a way that you can learn to live in rhythm with it. In the very beginning of human history, He established this rhythm:
You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God. - Exodus 20:10-11 (NLT)
In our culture, balance is elusive, and balance really isn’t the goal anyway. You can never give equal parts of time to the various priorities of your life. But you can organize your time around God’s purposes for you. There are two extremes to avoid.
1. Work, but don’t over-do it. The Bible lifts up the value of hard work. In fact, part of the commandment to rest one day per week is a commandment to work six. That doesn’t mean you literally have to clock in at a job six days per week to obey God’s command. It simply means that there ought to be a productive cycle to our lives.
2. Rest, but don’t waste time. Rest is something your body requires because of how God created you. And when you don’t get enough rest, your work will suffer. But resting isn’t the same as simply sitting on the sidelines and doing nothing. There is a purposeful resting that restores and refreshes our spirits.
Here’s a great plan. Work hard, whether you’re employed in a traditional job or working at home. But take time to divert daily in a quiet time with God, withdraw weekly by taking a day of rest, and abandon annually by getting away from it all for a week.
