R & R
Alicia Gibson
Today’s Scripture: “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” Genesis 2:15 (ESV)
Theme: Participating in fulfilling work was part of God’s original design and was a sinless activity before the fall.
“HEALTHY" ADDICTION
“The oxymoron that keeps us believing it could exist.”
Truth be told, I have always loved to be busy. It seems to be part of how I'm wired. In elementary school, rather than being bored, I would organize and reorganize my bookshelf and pencil cases. In middle and high school, attending school didn’t keep me busy enough, so I got a job. I can count on one hand the number of times I've slept until 11 a.m.
As an adult, I became a wife, mom, full-time student, businesswoman, volunteer, small group leader, mom's group leader, and whatever else was needed. I was so busy that the phone was constantly at my ear, and the computer was always open. There are far too many pictures to prove it! When our son was nine years old, he asked me if I was ever going to take a vacation with the family. The irony was that we took plenty of vacations. I just never learned how to turn it all off, so it seemed to him that I wasn’t even there.
GOD-GIVEN DESIRES
God created us with a desire to work, create, multiply, and cultivate. These were healthy desires in the beginning. Then sin entered the world and distorted those good desires. Sin doesn't usually invent new desires; it often takes good desires and twists them into unhealthy obsessions or idols.
In many ways, these "healthy addictions" are celebrated by our culture. In my case, being a "workaholic" wasn't considered a negative thing. It carried the reputation of being a high achiever. Eventually, the Holy Spirit began to convict me. I realized that work, and everything attached to it, had become an idol in my life. No amount of accomplishment would ever produce lasting satisfaction.
EMPTY TANK
We are merely human. Ultimately, we can only sustain the rat race for so long.
Exhaustion comes in many forms: anxiety, frustration, anger, impatience, insomnia, addictions, physical illness, and mental fatigue. The list goes on. Exhaustion can often be an indicator that we are living a life of control rather than trust.
Can I tell you something? None of the things I was doing were inherently bad. I was working, caring for my family, exercising, and serving in the local church. Yet I ignored God's gift of rest and continued my claim on control.
For many years, it seemed that once or twice a year the only way God could get my attention was to allow an illness that forced me into bed for a week or more. Only then would I stop long enough to recognize how physically and mentally drained I had become. Over time, I realized my busyness wasn't simply about productivity. Beneath the packed schedule was a desire to keep everything moving, manage every outcome, and remain in control.
DISCOVERING FULFILLMENT
God did not create us for control, addiction, or exhaustion. He created us to glorify Him each day. We see in Genesis that on the seventh day, God ceased from His work. Why would the God of the Universe, who never grows tired, stop working? It was not because He needed rest, but because He was establishing a rhythm of dependence and trust for His people.
God has gifted us a day to stop working and release the demands of the week so that we can reconnect with Him. The Sabbath gives us space to reflect, renew our hearts, and appreciate the blessings and accomplishments of the previous six days. The command was so important that God included it in the Ten Commandments. When we consider the significance of the other nine, it seems wise to pay attention to this one as well.
As we honor the Sabbath regularly, we begin to discover that true fulfillment is not found in accomplishing more, controlling more, or carrying more. It is found in walking with God, faithfully stewarding the work and gifts He has given us, and trusting Him enough to stop. The Sabbath reminds us that God is God, and we are not. We can rest because He never does.
Make It Personal:
- What responsibilities or activities make it difficult for you to rest?
- Have productivity or achievement become a source of identity or security for you?
- What would it look like to intentionally set aside time this week to trust God rather than strive?
Consider honoring the Sabbath by taking one day this week to rest. Try it; put it on your calendar and commit to a day now
Pray: Dear Jesus, thank You for the gift of rest. Thank You for carrying the weight of my struggles. I release control to You and ask that You help me honor Your command of ceasing from work one day each week. Teach me to trust You more deeply and find my fulfillment in You alone. Amen.
Read: Exodus 20:8-11; Hebrews 4:10-11; Ecclesiastes 6:7; Psalm 127:1-2
Weekly Memory Verse: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Exodus 20:8, ESV