THE COMMANDMENT TO REST
(Monday, October 21)
“Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest, so that your ox and your donkey may have relief, and the son of your bondmaid and the resident alien may be refreshed.” (Ex 23: 12)
Setting aside the disputed issues of the Sabbath-commandment and its status in Christianity (e.g., how or whether it relates to Sunday), today I’d like to reflect on its motivation, in its above-quoted version. We are commanded to rest, not primarily for our own sake, but out of consideration for our dependents, including animals. So, if we never heed the commandment to rest, and are “on” non-stop, as many of us are (at least to some degree) in our 24/7 Internet-culture, we are over-burdening not only ourselves, but also others.
This week, let me honor not only my times of work but also my times of rest, and take time off, as God calls me to do. My well-rested self makes life easier and more healthy not only for me, but for those dependent on me in some way.
