I grew up believing that we are not under the Mosaic Sabbath law and therefore can work seven days per week if we want to do so. I still believe that we are not, in any legal sense, under the Sabbath law. But I am coming to see more and more that there are often principles behind a law that are good and useful, even if the law itself is no longer in force.
I still tend to work seven days per week, however. As they say, “Old habits die hard.” From March 29th to June 13th I worked every day. I did not always work all day every day, but I worked every day. Even when I was not doing anything that others would see as work, my mind was working. By June my wife had begun to hint that maybe it was time for a day off. On June 13th, which was a Sunday, I had to admit that it was true. I was exhausted – physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually.
So, we declared Monday the 15th a day off. We drove slowly and methodically through a game park. At times we wandered around not knowing (or much caring) where we were. We took some nice photos. As regards my work, my mind went totally blank.
Before our day off, I had set a reasonable goal for myself of what I intended to accomplish on my first day back at work. By 10:30 AM of that first day back, I had already met that goal. By the end of that first day back I had accomplished nearly three times the amount of work that I get done in a normal day.
A day off was God’s idea. He told us plainly that it is not good or right that people made in his image should work all the time (Dt. 5:12-15). He set the example (Gen 2:1-3). Legally, we may not be under a Sabbath law, but Christians should not be legalists. We should not work our employees too hard. We should not work ourselves too hard. Doing so dishonours God.
I know, there are a lot of lazy people in the world – people who hardly ever work. But that is no excuse for any of us to act as if the world will end if we do not keep constantly busy. Relax, refresh, enjoy God’s creation. It may not always make you triple-productive when you return to your work, but it will honour God. It is the right thing to do.