Ah, Labor Day. A day of rest and relaxation set aside for those who labor. A time to commemorate the end of summer and the onset of fall. The one day of the year where you can happily ignore your commitment to your employer and languish in bed all day or cook burgers on the grill or fish or spend time with your family.
That’s the beauty of Labor Day. It doesn’t have the pressure and expectations of other holidays. It is simply a day to tell the average hard working American: “Take a day off. You deserve a rest.”
Yes, Labor Day was a great idea. The Central Labor Union engineered it, and it was intended to provide for a holiday that celebrated the working man –the laborer- as well as his contributions to society. A working man’s holiday just wouldn’t be complete if it did not include a day off work, and so Labor Day began. (resource from http://www.wisegeek.com/)
But did you know that rest from labor was actually God’s idea? It’s true. Jesus Christ told the multitude in Matthew 11:28:
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
In Genesis 2:2, the Holy Bible tells us that God rested on the seventh day after He created the world:
“And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.”
Not only did God example rest and offer us rest, but He actually commanded a day of rest:
“But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” (Exodus 20:10-12)
Obviously, God places a great deal of importance on us having a time set aside to rest and renew ourselves. So how are you doing with getting the rest you need? Assuming you are getting adequate sleep each night, what else do you do to renew and recharge yourself?
Here a few suggestions that work for me:
- A long soak in the bathtub
- A long, contemplative walk
- Curling up with a good book
- Calling and talking to a friend who is positive and uplifting
- Getting a massage
- Sipping a nice cup of Chamomile tea
- Listening to classical music
- Watching a funny movie
Can you add some suggestions to this list? Remember, that part of living every day with Jesus is to take care of ourselves, physically, emotionally and spiritually. As this Labor Day comes to a close, may you find great peace and a deep sense of calm as you pay attention to your bodies need for rest.
“So the people rested on the seventh day.” (Exodus 16:30)
I think we overlook that God instructed us to rest- it was not a suggestion and it was supposed to be so that we didn’t get so caught up in life that we had a set apart day to worship & abide in Him. We in our arrogance think that as life gets busier & busier we can claim this sacred day back to fill with our business and then as wonder why we get so lost & are hurting- terrific post , thank you for reminding me!
Hugs
C
Thanks Carolyn! You make a very valid point about arrogance playing a role in it all. I hadn’t thought of that. Thanks for sharing your insight with all of us… 🙂