Snow Days
Snow Days
A Sabbath rest remains for God’s people. For the person who has entered His rest has rested from his own works, just as God did from His. (Heb. 4:9–10)
The Consequences
Several catastrophic accidents in recent century—Three Mile Island, the fatal navigational error of Korean Air Lines 007, Chernobyl, Exxon Valdez—each occurred in the middle of the night with fatigue-stressed operators. That’s probably not just a coincidence.
When we ignore our need for rest, we do so at the peril of others and ourselves. When we don’t rest, we lose our way. We miss the compass points that show us where to go. We make faulty judgments. We miss the solitude that gives us wisdom. Consequently, our lives become endangered. Failure to take time to rest can be costly.
The Benefits
Rest is not optional. Rest was never meant to be a luxury but rather a necessity for growth, maturity, and health. We don’t rest because our work is done; we rest because God created our physical, emotional, and spiritual components with a need for breaks.
When you were a child and woke up to a large, overnight snowfall, you probably hopped out of bed and immediately turned on the radio or TV to see if school was called off. When it was canceled, you rejoiced. You had a free day, completely unplanned, in which you could do anything you wanted. It was a gift. The gift of rest.
Determine to plan your own snow days, a weekly time off from your responsibilities, to rest your body and to recharge your soul.
Bottom Line
Rest is not optional. God graciously commands it.