The Importance of Rest

“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.”      — Genesis 2:2

We live in a busy society. Any day of the week, many of us can be found involved in one activity or another. For some of us, the activities are work related, for others, they are extracurricular. Still some spend their time volunteering and helping in as many organizations they can fit in. Others lose themselves in their studies. It does not matter if the cause is righteous, or frivolous; it can still be all consuming.

Because of this demanding nature, we often find ourselves exhausted, sometimes to the point where it is almost impossible for our bodies to rest. We either work through the night or if we make it to bed, we toss and turn all night long. Rest almost seems like a fictitious concept. But rest is critical to our success. We cannot accomplish all we set out to do when we are exhausted. Our mental and physical health depends upon excellent health.

There is no single job or task that is so important we cannot take the time to rest. It is one of the first lessons God teaches His children through the Bible. In the first part of Genesis, the creation of the world is described. Few would argue there was ever a task more important than this. During the creation, God worked tirelessly to fashion every  single aspect of our lives, including man himself. Yet at the end, even God rested. He did not complete creation, wipe His hands and say, ‘I’m done.’ No. He knew His work was not completed. Yet He rested and regrouped so He would be refreshed when facing future challenges.

If it is important for God to rest; shouldn’t it be important for us?