Soon to Be Published...

The following (very) brief article is soon to be published in the newsletter of the church of which I am (hopefully) soon to be a member. For those without access to said newsletter (i.e. 99% of you), you're welcome. :)

The God of Work and Rest

There are many people in this world who are workaholics. I am not one of these people, so this will not be an article about learning to take a break. Instead, it will be about the converse struggle I—and my many compatriots—have with laziness. I have often been praised by workaholics for my “healthy” ability not to overload myself, but there is a dark side to this commitment to rest. Laziness is a subtle, insidious sort of sin that calmly hijacks your life without even raising your suspicions. Ultimately, it is a quest for rest, which seems quite Biblical until you look into its true face. Laziness does not desire the rest God promises in Scripture, but rather a rest that is separate from God, rest for its own sake. It seems rather innocuous, as far as sins go, until you see its violent reaction to someone who dares encroach on “me time”. And even apart from this, it has had devastating effects on my ability to love both God and neighbor.

Understanding the nature of my laziness has been crucial in beginning to overcome it, and Hebrews 4 has offered much-needed exhortation on the subject. The most obvious message of this passage is that we have not yet reached our final rest, and we must “strive to enter that rest”. As I looked at the text, I began to see the paradigm God has set for us in that He rested on the seventh day. This sets up not only the pattern of the Sabbath day, but also reveals that rest is offered when the work is completed. God’s work in creation was completed, so He rested. Chapter 1 tells us that after Christ completed His work of redemption, He “sat down” at the right hand of the Father. So while it is good for me to look forward to the day of final rest, I have also been given Kingdom work to do before this rest is given. That work will fill my entire lifespan—and will, indeed, be punctuated throughout with God’s gracious offer of rest along the journey—but it is perseverance in this work that offers proof of my salvation. This is the mindset that should govern the hearts of us lazy people. We should be constantly vigilant to see the work God has for us instead of constantly looking for opportunities to rest.

Possibly the most comforting aspect of this passage to me, however, comes at the very end of the chapter. The message is simple and familiar. Christ is our sympathetic high priest, “who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Christ is ever and always the answer to our dilemma. Through His blood, we receive mercy for our failures. By His Word and Spirit, we receive grace to keep moving forward on our sanctifying journey to the rest He has promised and procured for us. So as Paul says in Galatians, “Let us not grow weary in doing good works, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up.”