Six days you shall work...

"Six days you shall work and the seventh shall be a Sabbath to the Lord your God.  On it, you shall do no work.." Exodus 20:8-9

It's Sunday night and I've done it again.  I've spent an entire day without doing any work.  That may be normal for some, but for me, it is an accomplishment.  For years, I worked seven days a week.  I would put in my regular schedule Monday through Friday, work around the house on Saturday, and spend at least two hours every Sunday preparing for the week ahead.  It was exhausting.  

Then, one day during a Sunday sermon, the pastor was talking about having a day set aside each week for no work.  It should be time to rest and focus on our relationship with God.  As a Christian, that made sense. In fact, the Bible says in several places that we should work for six days and have one day of rest or a Sabbath day.  The pastor used the illustration of a rancher he knew who did not do any work, including go out and feed his animals, on Sundays.  He told the pastor that although it didn't make him richer, it didn't hurt him either.  

So, about a year and half ago, I made the decision that I would take one day a week totally off from work and use it for worship, reflection, rest, and family time.  At first, it was difficult.  I was always worried that I would not be ready for the coming week.  At about six pm Sunday evening, I would start to get nervous and want to go do some prep work.  But, I made myself relax and stop worrying.  And, like the rancher, it never hurt me.  If I needed to finish something, I always seemed to get it done early Monday morning when I was well rested.  

My typical Sunday now involves worship until around 12:30 pm, followed by a nap, and family time.  I usually try to get out of the house in the afternoons and walk through the woods with my son. I'm in bed by ten and fully rested for the week ahead.  

For those who feel like they just have to work every day, here is my plan to make it easier to take that day fully off.  I just spend a little more time at work during the week, possibly go in for a few hours Saturday morning, and be sure my week is planned out before I go to bed Saturday night.  Doing this allows me to relax and know that I'm ready for the week ahead.   

Am I legalistic about this?  Of course not.  If I was, I wouldn't be writing this post on Sunday night.  But, I do know that in the Bible, God tells me to take a day off each week and I know that He wants the best for me.  Jesus says that the Sabbath, or day of rest, was made for man and not the other way around.  Plus, it just makes sense.