Sunday Thought 94

Rest. This is something that as I get older I cherish more and more!  And since my hospital stay a few weeks ago I really need it. In Exodus 34, Moses is called to carve out two new tablets of stone (the first ones were broken by Moses) with the ten commandments. So Moses chisels out two new stone tablets like the first, then goes up on the mountain as instructed by God. When there, God goes over the commandments again, with some commentary.

When he gets to the Sabbath, God says “Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest.” As I thought about this it struck me – plowing and harvest time are the two busiest times of the year for the farmer. Living in Amish country, I see the farmers out in the field from dawn to dusk. Six days a week – but never on Sunday.  No matter how busy, the Amish rest on Sunday.

I need to do the same. Six days I can work and make money. But I need to rest one day a week, no matter how busy I think I am. My mind and my body need the refreshment. A good prescription for burnout is to never take a break. It’s not good for you, your family, or your workplace. We are never too busy to not take time out to rest. In the long run, we will get more done and be more effective if we do.