The importance of rest is something that we often take for granted.
Rest is important. Science would say that everyone should have at least seven to eight hours of sleep every day. That is true that is why the recommended work hour is just eight hours per day so that you can still have time to attend to your personal needs and take your daily dose of sleep. Along with proper diet and exercise, the law of rest must be observed by everyone. No one should abuse his physical body to work. Bear in mind that God Himself rested after He has worked hard creating everything for six days. Always remember to take physical rest because your body is actually not yours. The bible says, “You surely know that your body is a temple where the Holy Spirit lives. The Spirit is in you and is a gift from God. You are no longer your own.”
Now, what does it mean to rest? What do you do when you do not have work? What do you do during weekends? Many people would answer that they go out and spend some time with family and friends to catch up and bond with each other. Some people go on shopping and replenish their stock of food and whatever they wanted on their shelves. Some people just simply stay at home and enjoy the comfort of their bed and rest much to their heart’s content. Those were the definitions of rest. May it be a busy day out with loved ones or a satisfying splurge or a lazy “me time” at home, everyone has a way to spend their much deserved rest after a whole week of hard work.
But have you ever considered spending your rest day with God? Most often than not, people believe that Sabbath is just a one to two hours of attending a worship service at church. So long as you have attended the weekly Sunday service of your local congregation, then you have already fulfilled and observed the fourth commandment of God.
Unfortunately, that is not the case. There is a deeper perspective in Sabbath than what most people believe it to be. Sabbath is holy to God. While it means rest, Sabbath is actually a day of working your soul and spirit to get closer to God. It is the day when you should work on nothing and think of nothing but God and His goodness to you.
Your physical strength is replenished every day as you obey the law of rest and do not abuse your physical body. But your spiritual strength cannot be replenished that way. You cannot just go out, exercise, and eat plenty of nutritious foods and say that your spirit has been refreshed. It doesn’t work that way.
Your spirit can only be refreshed when you spend time and rest with God. And thus Jesus said, “If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest.” This is because Sabbath is the opportunity not only for you to thank God and adore His holiness, but also the time for you to unload your baggage and lift up all lay down all your burdens at His feet.
