5 Things the Bible Does Not Say about Rest

1. Resting Is Not Laziness

Some may think that taking time to cease from normal activity and to recharge is laziness. To be fair, there is a great deal of teaching in Scripture that denounces the lazy person – the one who refuses to work. God is correct to warn us of laziness because refusing to work leads to many problems (Proverbs 10:4; 13:4; 20:4). We should understand, then, why some individuals are wary of resting, because they fear they are engaging in slothfulness.

But to take time off to rest in the Lord and be recharged in soul, body, and mind, is not laziness. To rest is to obey the Lord who set in place a rhythm of work and rest. When God created everything in six days, He ceased from His labors on the seventh day and declared it holy (Genesis 2:2-3). Our Lord rested – and He certainly was not acting in laziness. After the fall of man, God knew that a sinful human tendency is to keep working to the neglect of our own wellbeing. Hence, He set in place a command for the Israelites that they should observe the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11). This applied to people, both native-born Israelites and foreigners, but also to animals.

Just as slothfulness is a problem that individuals can struggle with, so is overworking. We are not machines designed solely for the purpose of executing tasks. We are finite humans made in the image of God. If our Creator rested, and has told us to do the same, then our proper response is to obey and give thanks for the gift of rest.

2. Rest Is Not Selfish

Because so much of Western culture is centered on activity and completing tasks, we can feel guilty for slowing down or taking time off. We may even think that prioritizing rest is a selfish choice. Instead of ceasing from our labor and engaging in soul-refreshing activities, we assume we should be exerting all our energy to work and be productive.

Masked in this way, we fail to see that the refusal to rest is based on the belief that we are in control of our lives, and that everything falls on our shoulders to accomplish. Rest forces us to acknowledge and declare that we are dependent on someone other than ourselves. It is an act that shows we need God.

We see this demonstrated in Israel’s wilderness wanderings. The Lord instructed them to collect manna each day, but also to gather an extra portion on the sixth day (Exodus 16:23, 26). They were to rest on the seventh day. Yet, some of the Israelites did not listen and gathered manna on the Sabbath – they trusted in their ability to provide for themselves instead of trusting in God (Exodus 16:27-30). The giving of the double portion on the day before the Sabbath was meant to teach the Israelites to depend on the Lord, not themselves.

Resting might feel selfish if we have always listened to what the world tells us. However, the more we recognize our weakness and need for the Lord’s provision, the more we will prioritize rest. Our lives do not run on our own effort or striving. God is the One who is sustaining us (Colossians 1:17). We can lay down our guilt and rest, showing others that we depend on the Lord alone.

3. Rest Is Not a Waste of Time

Stopping from our work for blocks of time – whether a day or two, or in intervals throughout the day – may appear disadvantageous. Would we not make more money and get more accomplished if we worked without stopping? For those who are results-driven or are struggling to make ends meet, there is the temptation to view rest as a waste of time.

We should feel compassion for those near and far who are compelled to work long shifts while still not making enough to live on. Such conditions are unjust and inhumane. As a church, we need to work together to break such cycles of enslaving poverty.

However, there are people who refuse to slow down despite having sufficient resources. Or they convince themselves that they need to check off one more task before they can rest. In their mind, rest is a privilege instead of a need.

Throughout Scripture, we find God’s call for us to come to Him. We are invited to cease our striving, be still, and know that the Lord is God (Psalm 46:10). To get away with Him to rest (Mark 6:31). And instead of trying to please God with our endless activities, Jesus beckons us to, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). He provides our ultimate rest through salvation.

Stopping from our normal work and endless to-do lists allows us to refuel. An empty cup does not have much to give. We must first be filled before we can give of ourselves in service to the Lord. And how He will fill us! As David said, “my cup overflows” (Psalm 23:5).

4. Rest Is Not a Legalistic Rule

During New Testament times, the Jewish people followed a strict observance of the Sabbath. Many of them believed adherence to this rule bought them favor with God. So, when Jesus began healing people on the Sabbath, lots of Pharisees and scribes objected.

As the synagogue ruler said after Jesus healed a woman who had been crippled for eighteen years: “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath” (Luke 13:14). But Jesus rebuked them, pointing out their hypocrisy. They led their livestock to water on the Sabbath, which could be categorized as “work.” Yet this woman, a daughter of Abraham, who had suffered because of the work of Satan, was even more valuable. Should she not “be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?” (Luke 13:16). The Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus, said it was lawful to do right on the day of rest (Matthew 12:12).

As Jesus taught, the Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27-28). God set it in place to benefit humankind. Since the Pharisees and others had changed the day of rest into a legalistic rule and burden, they missed the purpose and blessing of God’s command.

We, too, can misunderstand the principle of rest. Jesus fulfilled the Law, including the Sabbath (see Romans 10:4). As a result, believers are no longer under the Law, but under grace (Romans 6:14). However, the principle of rest for the flourishing of humankind still applies. Rest is a gift from the Lord, not something we should make as a rule to earn salvation.

5. Rest Is Not Unspiritual

Taking a vacation. Allowing ourselves to enjoy an afternoon with family and friends. Appreciating time spent doing a hobby or engaging in an enjoyable activity. These are all good things, but we may be inclined to think that they have nothing to do with our faith. We may even believe that such activities are unspiritual or do not affect our walk with Christ. The opposite, though, is true.

When we mark off time to rest, we are declaring our trust in the Lord. We acknowledge our weakness and limitations – that we are humans who have spiritual, emotional, and physical needs. In many ways, rest is an act of faith. For choosing to step away from schedules and work obligations requires that we entrust our needs, problems, and plans to God.

Many of us fret and toil thinking that we are reliant on ourselves, forgetting that it is from God that we receive the ability to work and provide for ourselves (Deuteronomy 8:17-18). As Psalm 127:2 says, “It is useless to get up early and stay up late in order to earn a living. God takes care of his own, even while they sleep.” We do not have to anxiously work as if everything depended on us. And, likewise, we can engage in rest trusting that God will continue to meet our needs. He is the source of our life and salvation, not ourselves.

As we rest in faithfulness, we look forward to the ultimate rest that awaits us in eternity (Hebrews 4:9-11). This is the final rest that is the culmination of our faith – living forever with the Lord in His Kingdom, and on the New Earth. Until then, we continue to follow Jesus, obeying Him in our working and resting.