“And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught. And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while:”
Mark 6:30-31a [KJV]
I recently read some self-help articles about obtaining a ‘healthy work-life balance’. The articles gave tips about reducing working hours and having more time to do ‘fun life stuff ‘. Underpinning the author’s advice was the assumption that most of their readers were in full-time paid employment and had minimal external commitments.
However, these assumptions are simply not true for many Christian women. Yes, some single women are in traditional full-time employment or study. But other women are homemakers, mothers, or ministry servants, working longer hours and with greater responsibilities than some secular counterparts. Many Christian women, single or married, have extensive commitments, including church attendance, Bible study, witnessing, ministries, stewardship duties, family matters and serving others. Some things are hard work because they involve physical labour such as scrubbing grouting (ugh); other matters, such as budgeting and writing, require hours of mental work. Some things are difficult because of our circumstances, lack of efficient tools, or emotional or physical frailty. Spiritual battles over the souls of others are perhaps the hardest work of all; Epaphras laboured fervently in prayer (Colossians 4:12) and Paul wrote of enduring all things (2 Timothy 2:10) and being “spent” in his ministry (2 Corinthians 12:15). In short, God’s definition of work is much broader than paid employment. Instead of a work-life balance, the Bible talks about a work-rest balance. So, let’s consider what the Bible says about work, rest and finding the balance between the two.
God wants us to be hard workers. He created us to work: “And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it” (Genesis 2:15). Life – and gardening – became harder work after Adam and Eve sinned and the ground was cursed (Genesis 2). But even in a perfect world, humans were designed to work. The command to work hard is reiterated in both the Old and New Testaments. Exodus 20:9 says, “Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work”, while Romans 12:11 tells servants to be “Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.” Working hard isn’t limited to jobs; Colossians 3:23 says, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men”. There are specific instructions about married women working hard in home settings, with a godly wife praised for labouring to provide for her household (Proverbs 31:13-19), and idle widows rebuked for being tattlers and busybodies (1 Timothy 5:13). We should also work hard because God and the Apostles did so. God laboured in Creation (Genesis 1-2); Jesus said of himself, “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work” (John 5:17b), and Paul said he “wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you” (2 Thessalonians 3:8b). Hard work also brings blessing, leading us to “have lack of nothing” (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12), and being able to bless others in need with the fruit of our hands (Ephesians 4:28b).
The Bible also speaks of the importance of rest. In Hebrews 4:9-10, our salvation is described as entering into rest, and ceasing from our “own works, as God did from his”. While I’m focusing on physical rest in this blog post, the body, soul and spirit are interconnected, meaning spiritual and emotional issues will affect our physical rest. For example, worries and burdens we have not surrendered to God are a common cause of insomnia. I recently told someone, semi-jokingly, that sleep was a waste of time. But my attitude was wrong, because Psalm 127:2 tell us sleep is a gift from God; “It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep”. Jesus Himself was an advocate of proper sleep and the right pillow – even during storms (Mark 4:35-41). Not all physical rest is necessarily sleep, but it does involve ending or ceasing from work. God does not slumber (Psalm 121:4), but He rested on the seventh day after the creation of the world, “wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:11). Jesus also told his disciples to “come ye yourselves apart …and rest awhile” (Mark 6:31-34), indicating rest also involves having a break from duties.
But how do we find the right balance between work and rest in our lives? For, myself, do I keep typing away until an external source forces a pause... such as the cat sitting on my keyboard and refusing to move? Jokes aside, finding the balance is complicated. Most of us struggle with either overworking, laziness, or expending effort on wrong priorities. Few consistently have the ideal balance between work and rest. It’s something that requires much thought, prayer and re-evaluating as time passes, responsibilities shift and needs change. But here are a few guiding principles. Firstly, as discussed, we should prioritise both work and rest, because God says both are important. Secondly, God created one day in seven as rest from our weekday labours. In New Testament times this day is Sunday, the day Christ arose (Mark 16:9), reunited with the disciples (John 20:19), and the day the Apostles specified for fellowship, communion, preaching and offerings (Acts 20:6-7, 1 Corinthians 16:2). Sundays are God’s days for prioritising church, rest, fellowship and studying the Bible. And, because they are the most important day of the week for our spiritual health, we need to cease our usual weekday labours on Sundays and include extra physical rest on surrounding days. Pastors, for example, often have Monday as their substitute day off. Thirdly, Jesus Himself told his disciples to “come ye yourselves apart …and rest awhile” after a period of intense ministry (Mark 6:31-34). Jesus knew all labourers need holidays that include relaxation and spending time alone with Christ to be re-energised for more ministry. While we focus so much on outputs, God prioritises input, seeking to mould individuals who will truly be a “vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use” (2 Timothy 2:21). Fourthly, we need to prioritise fulfilling the responsibilities God has given each of us. His grace is indeed sufficient for everything He wants us to do (2 Corinthians 12:9). God longs to guide us in the paths of His choosing (Psalm 23, Isaiah 30:21). Fifthly, another indicator of the wrong balance may be a stagnating of your spiritual growth. Not enough work to do might limit opportunities for growth and development. Too much work and busyness will cause prayer and devotions to be pushed aside and your relationship with God to suffer. If we have wrongly prioritised work over rest, or rest over work, in our lives, then that’s disobedience to God. Our walk with God will suffer, and our actions will become empty gestures that will not receive rewards.
In conclusion, have we stopped to consider whether we have the right balance of work and rest in our lives? As we wait on God, may we hear His voice, either sending us out to work for Him, or else gently whispering, “come ye yourselves apart …and rest awhile”.
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