God and you

Day 97

'By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.'

Genesis 2:2-3

Who is always working? I know some people don't work loads, but others work every minute of every day (and I'm not just saying that, I work a lot too). And work is good. As Louisa May Alcott writes in 'Little Women', 'Work is wholesome, and there is plenty for everyone. It keeps us from ennui and mischief, is good for health and spirits, and gives us a sense of power and independence better than money or fashion.' So doing work is good, and it helps us to become better people, in the long run.

But too much work is not helpful. With work, there needs to come rest. If we didn't rest, we would never have the chance to appreciate God's wonderful creation, and all the amazing gifts and treasures he has given us. Even God rested on the seventh day. He doesn't expect us to work all the time. he loves us, and wants us to have a wonderful, beautiful, memorable life. As Louisa May Alcott also puts it in 'Little Women' (I know, I have the book by my laptop, if you were wondering why I keep on writing these quotes down), 'Have regular hours for work and play, making each day both useful and pleasant, and prove that you understand the worth of time by employing it well.'

If you feel that you spend too much time working and not enough time listening to God and enjoying life, maybe you should reconsider the way you spend your time. God understands that we have a lot to do as humans, and we often need to spend the time working hard and getting things done. But you could try setting aside one day, like God, to rest and not do any, or at least not do lots, of work. I know that later on in the bible, Jesus does all sorts of things on the Sabbath, but those things were good and they helped people. So maybe you could consider helping others instead of working all the time. I'm not saying you have to do this, I'm just suggesting that it might be a good idea.

Prayer

Dear Lord,

Thank you for work. thank you for rest. please help me to find the right balance between work and rest, so that I will find the time to make my life both useful and pleasant. Help me remember that work is not everything, and to consider helping others instead of working.

Amen