The Gifts of Work and Sabbath

Deuteronomy 5-6; Psalms 43; Mark 14 

“Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God…Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.”

Deuteronomy 5:12-14, 15

Both work and Sabbath extend back to the pattern God established in Genesis 1. Work images God’s nature and provides an opportunity for creative engagement with people, problems, and processes to improve our lives. Work is not the necessary evil to endure until we enjoy Sabbath rest. Just as Sabbath rest is not an imposition of leisure on an otherwise productive life. Both are gifts from God which image his nature and design for creation. We are not slaves to work, but co-creators with God. Neither are we living for the weekend, vacations, and retirement as we endure work. The Sabbath rest reminds us of God’s care and provision in our lives, and resets our capacity to work with creativity and worship.

Are we working and “Sabbath-ing” well?

“Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of work and Sabbath.”