I was thinking a little the other day about when and how we rest from the busyness of living. With shops open all hours, many places of work turning over to 24/7 operation and the government looking at extending Sunday trading for shops, there will be even less time for folks to spend relaxing. It would be easy to judge all of this by our more recent history, with Sunday being a "day of rest".
Historically of course most people did not have a day of rest as such in this country and in spite of God's instructions to his people as they journeyed to the promised land, Israel seems to have an ongoing problem with this as well. Certainly those who were slaves in the early church would have had a problem with finding a day of rest.
But then God is serious about us humans needing time off and time not to be busy doing something else but time to reflect, to spend in prayer or worship (and be refreshed and strengthened in God's presence) but also in allowing our bodies to recover from the pressures of life. The old adage "a change is a good as a rest" does not allow that, simply working hard at sport or exercise does not let our bodies rest and recover.
As the summer comes upon us, many will be trying to get the most out of holidays, hopefully finding time to rest as well as trying to experience different things. Finding time to let our bodies recover and be restored is important and needs to happen, IMO, more frequently than just on our summer holidays. It needs to be something we intentionally do, regularly.
What do I do? Sometimes go and watch birds or find a beach and watch the waves,
other times relax in the garden or read a book. Sometimes just find somewhere to be quiet or walk a bit and stop in the countryside. Whatever it is it includes time doing nothing, allowing my mind and body to rest and recover. I hope you have or will find those places, times to do the same.
Historically of course most people did not have a day of rest as such in this country and in spite of God's instructions to his people as they journeyed to the promised land, Israel seems to have an ongoing problem with this as well. Certainly those who were slaves in the early church would have had a problem with finding a day of rest.
As the summer comes upon us, many will be trying to get the most out of holidays, hopefully finding time to rest as well as trying to experience different things. Finding time to let our bodies recover and be restored is important and needs to happen, IMO, more frequently than just on our summer holidays. It needs to be something we intentionally do, regularly.
What do I do? Sometimes go and watch birds or find a beach and watch the waves,
other times relax in the garden or read a book. Sometimes just find somewhere to be quiet or walk a bit and stop in the countryside. Whatever it is it includes time doing nothing, allowing my mind and body to rest and recover. I hope you have or will find those places, times to do the same.
