Take Five—or More!

You might have to put in a little extra time on the job to keep customers happy in your business, but be glad you don’t have the schedule of the late Miwa Sado, a 31-year-old journalist for Japan’s NHK public broadcasting network.

Ms. Sado succumbed after logging an incredible 159 hours of overtime—equal to nearly four 40-hour workweeks of extra time—in one month in 2013. A labor panel listed karoshi—a Japanese word meaning “death from overwork”—as the cause of her demise.

Her story might also suggest that God unquestionably knew what He was doing way back in Genesis 2:1–3 when He set apart a day of rest. God, of course, wasn’t tired, but He wanted to set an example for His creation.

That theme echoes throughout Scripture. When the Israelites observed the Sabbath command and rested, they were close to God and prospered. When they ignored the Sabbath, things were more perilous, sometimes disastrously so. (See Nehemiah 13:15–22.)

In the New Testament, we see that Jesus continued this great concern, once telling His disciples, “ ‘Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.’ For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat” (Mark 6:31).

In this one verse, we get a template, a pattern, for personal re-creation. Come apart from the world and its busyness. If you don’t have access to a “deserted place,” try to find a nearby park, or even some quiet time somewhere at home. (Pro tip: turn off the smartphone.) And rest “a while.” It doesn’t have to be days or weeks. Just take a break, and ask God to refresh you as you do it.

Of the many gifts God has given us, the Sabbath is a day that not only

reminds us of our spiritual rest in Christ, but it’s also a day of physical peace and rest that we should never neglect.

Apply It:

As you plan your week, consider where, and when, and how you can take advantage of rest.

Dig Deeper:

Exodus 20:10; Psalm 55:6; Hebrews 4:9