Glorifying God as We Rest

In September, we celebrate Labor Day. The national holiday is celebrated by most people taking a day off work. The comical question that is heard asked jokingly each year is: if so many people don’t work on Labor Day, then why not change the name to, “Take a Day Off Work Day”, or “Non-Labor Day?” When I was young, those were the kinds of questions I thought of, though never audacious enough to ask out loud to others out of fear of being laughed at. 😊

In Scripture we see that work is something that God gave Adam and Eve before sin entered the world (Genesis 2:15). Therefore, work is not the result of sin, but is part of God’s plan and purpose for mankind and His creation. When Adam and Eve sinned (Genesis 3), one of the results was that their work would now be tedious, tiresome, and hard. Yet, even with the effects of sin, mankind was still meant to find joy, satisfaction, and a sense of accomplishment in their toil, for work itself was given to us by God in order to glorify Him. So, even in harsh and difficult situations, it is possible to glorify God in our work (Colossians 3:18-25). The apostle Paul wrote to the church in Colossae, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”  This verse gives us a healthy perspective as we labor, even when it is hard. Therefore, God desires that we work and that we seek to glorify Him in it.

So, how do we glorify God in our work? There are many different answers to that question. We could look at the quality of our work, what kind of activity we are doing in our work, and even our attitudes as we work. But I want to mention one way to glorify God that we, at least I, often forget. We are to seek to glorify God by resting and taking time off. Godly rest magnifies God in our work. Resting takes time to thank God for the work He gives us to do. Resting acknowledges that, unlike God, we can grow weary, tired, and need to stop. So, resting is a way for us to confess that we are not God and need Him to give us strength in order to continue our tasks (Isaiah 40:28-31). It a way for our limited minds and bodies to praise the limitless God. When we stop our work, it gives us the opportunity to look up to Him. It acknowledges that our provision does not ultimately come from us, but rather from Him. Resting acknowledges that He is the sustainer of all things, not us. To not stop is for us to indirectly proclaim that we are the source of our lives, not Him. Resting is our chance to confess that life comes from Him, not us. Thus, whether you work part-time or full-time, work as homemaker or as a homeschool parent, work by volunteering in the community, work through serving in church ministry, work by caring for aging parents, or any other kind of work; do it heartily, as for the Lord. But, then rest. And do so in order to give God glory for all He has allowed you to do and for all He is planning for you to do in the future. All we have done, are doing, and will do in our work is a gift of grace from God Almighty. May we stop therefore, from our labors, and glorify Him as we rest. Work was given to us by God. Yet so was rest (Genesis 2:1-3). May we take off from our work and celebrate God as we rest. And may we do it much more often than just the first Monday of September.