Have you ever heard the expression, “you don’t want to build a lifestyle that you’re spending all your time trying to escape from”? Sometimes the problem isn’t the lifestyle, but the management of the lifestyle. That is, you might necessarily have a stressful career or vocation, but that doesn’t mean you can’t achieve times of rest even during a hard (and maybe long) work season. By finding rest before, during, and after hard work, you’ll lower the chances of wanting to escape from it.

Bringing Restful Behaviors into Your Work

Truth

Humans are designed to work, which means you’re already set up for your work. “Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.” (Genesis 2:15)

Practical Application Ideas

• No matter how insecure or inadequate you may feel about your work, the God who’s in control of the universe has already established and secured your work. That is, you can go out and do what God has planned and willed for you to do, without fear of judgment and condemnation from man. (Galatians 1:10, Ephesians 2:10, Colossians 1:17)
• Notice the way your thoughts, words, and attitude impact how you view your work. You have the power to choose either a blessing or a curse over your own life. Constantly telling yourself how busy you are, that you don’t know how you’re going to get it all done, and that you’re stressed, will make your stress level even worse. There’s an appropriate time to process and evaluate of course, but it’s important not to raise your stress level by what you repeatedly think and say about your work. (Deuteronomy 30:1, Proverbs 18:21)
• Declare this to yourself: “He wouldn’t have given me this responsibility if He wasn’t going to give me what I need to accomplish it.” Rest in that promise and see if you don’t notice a difference. If not, or if you’re continually failing, ask Him if He isn’t giving you what you need to accomplish your work because He has a different plan for you.
• Regularly call to mind the promises that: He’s working mightily within you, is faithful to fulfill what He has called, and will bear much fruit through you when you remain in step with Him. (John 15:5, Colossians 1:29, 1 Thessalonians 5:24)
• Since Jesus lives to intercede for you, that means He’s praying for you while you’re at your job, studying, or working to care for your home and family. (Hebrews 7:25)

Resting Before & After You Work

Truth

Embracing the gift of Sabbath rest (Mark 2:27) can be doable even in the modern world.

Practical Application Ideas

• You may not be in the position to have a regular six days of work and one day of rest schedule, but if you can from time-to-time take a full Sabbath/work-free/stress-free day, or find a way to sometimes take one rest day in seven, you’ll be amazed at the rest that’ll come out of it.
• And if six days of work/one day of rest doesn’t work for you at all right now, the Creator will help you learn ways to Sabbath with Him anyway!
  • At the end of the sixth day of creation, God reflected on His work (Genesis 1:31). Setting aside time to reflect could be a creative way to begin following God’s style of resting. Build in time to reflect on your work and systems. Think about what is and isn’t working and discuss with a trusted loved one what changes might be good to make. Write down examples of God’s faithfulness in your work. Let these examples fuel your work.
  • After working six days, God set apart the seventh day to rest. Learning to rest even just a little bit on a Sunday might be a nice way to begin following God’s style of resting. Maybe each Sunday you could set aside one hour to rest; and grow in the courage to protect that time no matter what other distractions you’re around. Use this Sabbath time to pray, praise, and let Him show you how He is empowering you to do His work. He’ll honor this type of Sabbath reflective rest and as a result you’ll find more rest when you get back to your work. And you may find yourself being able to increase the number of reflective hours and Sabbath rests per year.
  • This might also be a good time to ask yourself: “Am I resting to work or working to rest?” Or “Am I considering that God has commanded me to rest?” This command is for your good so that you can acknowledge your human limitations, hear directly from Him, learn how to increase dependence upon Him, and spend time worshiping Him, which protects you and glorifies Him. (Psalm 37:7, 116:7; Matthew 11:29; Luke 23:56)

Resting Your Soul while you Work

Truth

Obey the Word with sincerity and respect, doing all your work for Him knowing you’ll receive the kind of inheritance that is befitting of someone serving the Lord Jesus Christ. (Colossians 3:22-24)

Practical Application

• Rest is a time to pause your work to prevent it from becoming a type of striving for worldly identity and acceptance, and preventing it from becoming a type of self-provision out of lack of trust in God. Resting before, during, and after work is your time to recalibrate yourself to the One whom you serve in your work and being. (Leviticus 23:3)
• It’s good to know that while you’re existing in life’s routine of working and resting, there’s also a co-occurring cycle of feasting and fasting (Leviticus 23). By setting aside time to rest before God, you’ll make yourself dependent on the Holy Spirit to know when to work, when to rest, when to fast, and when to feast. Some seasons of work will include making sacrifices such as location or position (fasting), and other times in work you’ll find exciting opportunities or rich relationships with colleagues (feasting). During some periods of rest, the Lord may teach you some hard lessons which may require giving up certain indulgences such as TV or certain foods (fasting); other times He may bless you with abundance, such as a time away at the ocean or in the mountains or enjoying a Sabbath day dessert (feasting). When you submit to Him, His work and rest for you are always perfect and perfectly timed.
• Surrendering to Him as the authority of your rest nourishes your soul and is a way to walk out your faith.
• Accomplish your work from a rested posture, both physically and spiritually. When you rest physically before and after working, you’ll be making your body fit for His work and all His good purposes for you. When you rest spiritually before, during, and after working, you’ll know that He’s ensuring the harvest of your labors, which satisfies the soul. As you work His works that He planned in advance, remember that your works follow you into heaven, but don’t lead you there. Ultimately, be free to find rest in and for your work – it’s the fruit of His righteousness produced in you. (1 Corinthians 3:6-9,16; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, 9:10; Ephesians 2:10; Revelation 14:13)

Prayer & Blessing

By this My Father is glorified: that you bear much fruit, so that you will be My disciples. (John 15:8)