There is one big question in this world that I think everyone asks at one time or another: “Do the jobs ever end?”
Does the workload ever get lighter? Do the messes ever start cleaning themselves up? Will the tasks ever get easier?
I’ve found the answer to be “no.”
There will always be a mess to clean, a room to vacuum, a counter to wipe, a project to finish, a dish to wash, a meal to cook, an email to send, a basket of laundry to fold…no, the work doesn’t end. Which is why we need to take breaks from it.
There’s probably always someone in your life who’s relying on you to do something—whether it’s your boss, a customer, a family member, a friend, or a church member. And of course, there are also plenty of things you are relying on yourself to do, too.
We have a lot of responsibilities, and those responsibilities tend to pile up when we give up.
It’s true that there will always be a job to do, but we need to step away from our to-do lists for five minutes and just breathe.
Jesus is the perfect example of this. He faced people, problems, and tasks constantly. Once He started doing miracles, people didn’t want Him to stop. He was mobbed by crowds of sick and dying and lost people all the time. We constantly needed Him (and still need Him) to fix us.
Yet He never lost His temper, brushed aside the people in need, or cried out in frustration at the world. He always showed up with a forgiving heart and healing hands.
On Earth, Christ was as human as you and me. He was physically exhausted at times. But He set aside time to rest, pray, and get away from the chaos. We also need to set aside time to rest, pray, and get away from the chaos.
And in the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and prayed there for a time. Simon and his companions eagerly searched for Him; and they found Him, and said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.” He said to them, “Let’s go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may also preach there; for this is why I came.” (Mark 1:35-38 NASB)
By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done (Genesis 2:2 NASB)
When God had finished creating the world, He rested. He could’ve kept creating, but He rested instead. He did this as an example for us.
But I believe in resting not just on Sundays. Of course, on Sundays, we shouldn’t work because God commanded us to rest. But sometimes, we need a break on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. You really can’t work the entire day (except for the eight hours when you’re sleeping). There has to be more than a coffee break or a 14-minute-and-23-second lunch break between waking and sleeping.
It is not a sin to take a break.
In Mom’s Night Out, a Christian comedy that I highly recommend, the main character (a mother of three kids) is in a rut. She can’t seem to rest. She sees messes and issues, and she can’t escape from them. While the movie portrays her as somewhat of a psycho, there really are people just like her…and you might be one of them. (I’m usually not like her…you can just go to my room to see a mess in action and something I call ignorance.)
Some people don’t feel right taking a break when there are still dirty dishes on the counter. But trust me, friends…the mess never goes away.
The people following Jesus never went away. There were always more problems and sicknesses and deaths. Jesus handled them all and still set aside time to rest.
I’m sure you’ve taken the hint by now: we need rest. And we can’t wait until Sunday or until all the laundry is folded or until we feel like we’ve done enough labor to take a break.
I’m not saying you should be lazy and lounge around all day. (Stay tuned for Part 2 to hear me lecture about that.) But you should find time to be with God and enjoy the silence. He made us perfectly, but when we sinned, we started having a bunch of problems. One of them is exhaustion—and not just physical exhaustion but also emotional, mental, and spiritual exhaustion. All these things need to be treated with sleep, silence, and prayer.
Unwind and unplug from the chaos. You’ll be glad you did.
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