Of Work And Rest

July 10, 2015

The Fourth of the Ten Commandments reads, "Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy." It is a reminder that life itself is patterned after the creative acts and plan of God, but also that life itself is not our own doing. It is all too easy to imagine that there is just one more thing to be done; one more achievement to accomplish, and that we are too busy making a living to slow down and actually live. When I was a boy, "Blue Laws" were the norm; except for emergency services such as hospitals, nursing homes, and the police and fire departments, businesses closed on Sundays. It was literally almost impossible to find even a corner deli that was open on Sunday. Department stores and supermarkets--forget it; nothing was open. It was even hard to find a gas station open. Our kids and grandkids cannot even fathom life like that.

Sunday was a day of rest and worship. In my parents' youth, kids didn't even play on Sundays. It was a time of worship, quiet reflection, and rest. There's not much left of that kind of thinking these days. Stores and restaurants are open for business, sporting events have replaced church for many, and we push just as hard on Sunday as any other day of the week.

The Sabbath commandment wasn't given to spoil our fun, but to give people the break we need if we are to be as fully productive as we ought. It doesn't take long for continual work with no time away from the job to become counterproductive, with performance deteriorating as people neglect their basic need for rest and regeneration. I think also, that the Day of Rest is given so we don't become arrogant and self-centered, imagining that if we were to stop for a moment, all of life would cease. The Sabbath is a reminder that we are not God, and that our provision comes not just from the work of our hands, but also from the blessing of our Creator.

Yet there is more to this Fourth Commandment than the familiar words about remembering the Sabbath, to keep it holy. It goes on to command six days of work. Somehow, while major parts of our society have forgotten the need for rest, entire other segments have neglected the command to work, preferring to mooch off the rest of us instead. I'm not talking about the truly disabled, but the increasing numbers of people who prefer to let others work while they simply play at life.

I am retired, and it would be easy for me to simply sit back and coast till I die. Except for one thing; somewhere deep within me is a craving for accomplishment. Whether it's being able to play scales or a sonata on my bassoon, a riff on my bass, fixing my motorcycle, mowing the lawn, or wiring the garage, I need to accomplish. It's a way of measuring life, perhaps even significance, although that can be tricky. Today I ran wire, mounted a junction box and subpanel, got my plow and a bunch of other stuff ready to sell, changed the oil in the mower, mowed the lawn, worked on Sunday's sermon, and spent time with the grandkids. Much was accomplished, and honest labor is a reflection of the work of God in creation, and the work of Christ in our redemption. It's not just work; it's holy stuff, and I am thankful to have been able to do it today.