When you are resting, you are recovering and recharging and I think most importantly you are breaking routine. And you are doing something very biblical. Of course God rested on the 7^th day, the Sabbath was commanded for Israel and Jesus said the sabbath was decreed for the benefit of man. But I’m not a Sabbatarian; I do think there is tremendous wisdom in taking a weekly rest, but I don’t think it is commanded for New Testament believers.

Rest is a dirty word in our society these days. Self-care? Sure. Hobbies? Of course. Retreats? Why not. But rest? What are you, old or lazy? In the era of smart phones, instant messaging, and constant access the email the idea of “doing nothing” seems if not wrong, at least foreign.

But the thing is when you are resting, you are doing something. You are recovering and recharging and I think most importantly you are breaking routine. And you are doing something very biblical. Of course God rested on the 7^th day (Gen 2:2), the Sabbath was commanded for Israel (Ex 20:8-11) and Jesus said the sabbath was decreed for the benefit of man (Mark 2:23-28). But I’m not a Sabbatarian; I do think there is tremendous wisdom in taking a weekly rest, but I don’t think it is commanded for New Testament believers. (In fact one of the greatest blights on humanity, baked beans, is a direct result of misguided sabatarianism. Really, look it up.)

But for me none of that is as compelling as when Jesus told the disciples to go get some rest.  They had just returned from when Jesus had sent them out two by two to proclaim the Kingdom. And He knew He was about to feed the five thousand. And Mark 6 tells us how Jesus greeted them.

The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” – Mark 6:30-31a

Rest is biblical. Period. Recently I was blessed to take a week off. Off, off. My wife and I spent a week in a guest cabin on a maple syrup farm in the highest and least populated county in Virginia. Other than a ½ fly fishing with a guide (that my wife gave me as an anniversary present) I did what those without a biblical understanding of rest as nothing. All week long.

I slept late (for me), I made and ate breakfast with my wife. And then settled in for a long day of reading and drinking coffee on the porch.  Sometime between 11:00 & 2:00 (depending on the weather) I made the taxing decision to switch from hot to iced coffee, but by and large I sat and read, occasionally pausing to gaze at or listen to the stream burbling by the cabin.

Read More