Labor Day Weekend Is Upon Us

Labor Day weekend is here. This means some last minute trips to the lake, the pool, and some mini vacations. Regardless of how you spend this time away from work, I hope you enjoy some rest.

I, for one, have always been grateful that in America we celebrate Labor Day. I like the fact that people get a much needed day off from work (or a 4 day weekend). We tend to be an extremely busy society. Rest is something we can definitely use. While I'm sure that many people will continue to be busy, I do hope that you will take this time to enjoy your family, this beautiful creation, and that you will give yourself the opportunity to recharge. Don't miss this incredible opportunity.

We have talked about rest several times in the blog. Several years ago I heard Graham Cooke talk about Rest As A Weapon and it changed my whole understanding of the word. Learning how to rest in the Lord is vital to being conformed to the image of Christ. Knowing how to be still, how to trust fully in His finished work, and how to lose the striving mentality allows the fruit of the Spirit to come forth naturally in your life. However, this thing of rest is not just spiritual. It's necessary for emotional and physical well being.

While the busiest people in the world may be some of the most financially successful. They are rarely the most stable. Relationships take the back seat to their endeavors. They may be building empires, but rarely are they building families. Rarely do they connect in areas outside of the business realm. Stress becomes the most active agent in their lives. And what can often follow are unhealthy choices in how to deal with this destructive force.

Do you know people who simply cannot take a day off?
Are you one of them?
I think one of the most profound statements of Jesus, one of the most incredible invitations that He gave to us, was a call to rest for those who were weary and heavy laden. The religious system of His day was burdensome. The Sabbath, because of the rules and regulations applied to it, was anything but a day of rest. It was a day of stress. What if I looked in the mirror and plucked a hair? What if someone deemed me brushing my hair as work? Would people believe that the ox actually fell into a ditch or will they think I was working when I should be resting? All of these questions were legitimate concerns for the Jewish people. The religious leaders were so concerned with protecting what they believed to be important, they did not realize that their approach was taking the focus off of the Lord and placing it upon man's performance. In the midst of it all, Jesus cries out for those in desperate need of rest. Is that you?

The greatest way to de-stress is to rest.
Sleep. Take your time. Enjoy a cup of coffee. Read. Be with family. Go out into nature. Breathe. Do what you need to do to slow the world down for a moment. Spend your day in conversation with the Lord. Listen. There are so many ways to reconnect, to recharge, and to reevaluate how to move forward.

The Jewish people believed that God took the seventh day of Creation to rest as an example for all of us. We need a day of reflection. A day to look over all that we have created. A day to enjoy the fruitfulness of our relationships and our labor. A day to connect. It's what the Sabbath was always meant to be. When is your Sabbath? What does your day of rest look like? Are you able to turn the machine off for just a little while?

Take this weekend and make the most of it. Life is meant to be enjoyed not endured. Rest is waiting for you. May the Lord bless you in it.

Enjoy! Talk to you next week.