Leviticus 25:4
“But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.”
This devotional is not for the lazy person. This devotional is for the person who finds themselves guilty because they are not working. There are many people who can feel guilty when they stop to rest, but they must understand that God gives us a rest principle on purpose.
In the verse above, God gives the rest principle when it came to planting crops. He said that every seventh year they were to let their land rest so that it can be more productive. You find that God instituted the rest principle at the very beginning. For six days God worked, but on the seventh day He rested. You will notice that every seventh day or year there is a needed rest. That is what we would call the rest principle.
It is important for your health and productivity to practice the rest principle in your life. You cannot go nonstop without any rest without something breaking down. Either your health, relationships, spiritual wellbeing or productivity will break down if you don’t learn to have a time to rest on a regular basis. Let me share with you several thoughts concerning the rest principle.
First, there is nothing about which to feel guilty when you rest. I’m a person that many would call a workaholic. I find myself constantly working, and even at times will feel guilty when I take time off. I have had to learn to remind myself that God took time to rest. If you are a hard worker, you must not feel guilty about taking time to rest because it is a command of God to have a regular time to rest.
Second, rest only comes after work. In each instance when God commands us to rest, it is always done after work. God worked six days and then He rested. The land is worked for six years and then it is to be rested. You don’t rest and then work, but you work and then rest. The rest principle is only for those who have obeyed God and worked.
Third, rest must be planned. This is so important for those who find it hard within themselves to take time to rest. If you don’t plan a day that you take off, then you won’t do it. If you don’t plan a time to take vacation, then you won’t ever take a vacation. Plan time off on your schedule and obey your scheduled time off.
Fourth, rest must be regular. You will notice that God planned the seventh day to be a day of rest each week. God was establishing the importance of taking a regular time off away from work. Just as it is important to take time off to rest, it is also as important to make it regular. God made your body with a need to rest.
Friend, rest is an important part of your life if you are going to be productive in every area. Church leaders must be careful that they give their people time to rest if they want their church to be productive. Employers must be sure that they require their employees to take time off to rest. Individuals need to have a regular time off to rest. Without rest you are setting yourself up to break down physically, mentally and spiritually. Many people have fallen into sin because they were too tired to fight temptation. Many people have become sickly because they never rested. If the rest principle is followed in your life, you will find that you will have more energy to do what God wants you to do, and that your productivity will increase.