Working from a Place of Rest…
#6 | March/April 2023
“If you don’t take a Sabbath, something is wrong. You’re doing too much, you’re being too much in charge. You’ve got to quit, one day a week, and just watch what God is doing when you’re not doing anything”
Towards the end of March ‘23 I had the privilege to speak at an event in Cambridge, UK which was focused on helping us ‘run the race’ of life well and being ready for what lies ahead. You can find out more about the event HERE.
My talk focused on the subject of ‘Flow’, how do we create a sustainable, healthy rhythm of rest and work, a subject I am passionate about as it combines both my faith, my story and what I have learned over the years, living with a chronic illness.
So, in my next couple of ‘Pep Talks’ I thought I would share an expanded version of what I shared at this event.
In this one I want to share with you the ‘flow’ we see in creation and the life of Jesus and outline one practice I believe should be a priority or ‘rock in the bucket’ for us in our lives.
Next time I will share what rhythm we see in the world today and what individual mindsets we can bring alongside this. I then will share 2 further practises that I believe can help us.
These posts are not designed to cover all the bases, but are intended to give you some food for thought that will hopefully lead you to develop a more healthy rhythm of work & rest.
So let’s get into things, let’s start with the Rhythm of Creation.
The Rhythm of Creation
Here I am referring to the pattern of events described in the book of Genesis in the Bible, where God creates the world in six days and rests on the seventh day. Here are 4 quick observations:
Intention & Order
God's work was intentional and ordered. Each day of creation involved a specific act of God, and each act was purposeful and intentional. On the first day, God created light; on the second day, he created the sky; on the third day, he created land, seas, and plants; and so on. This shows that God's work was not haphazard or random but carefully planned and ordered.
Rest is at the Beginning & the End - Day & Week.
At the end of each day of creation it is says ‘Evening passed and morning came’ emphasizing the cyclical nature of time and the importance of rest and renewal. We don’t see God doing things 247.
After six days of work, God rested on the seventh day. This shows that rest is an important part of God's design for creation. God set an example for us to follow, showing that rest is not a sign of weakness but a necessary part of life.
Celebration & Contentment
‘God was pleased with what he saw’
’He was very pleased’ .
‘The seventh day was set aside, blessed’.
These phrases in Genesis speak of celebration, an acknowledgement of what has been achieved on that day of creation. You can infer God sitting back in the arm chair with a smile of contentment on his face.
Life is about, Growth, Bearing Fruit & Multiplication.
The rhythm of creation is marked by an ongoing process of growth and development, as plants and animals reproduce and adapt to changing conditions. Human beings are created last, and are given a special role as stewards of the natural world & to multiply, reflecting the image of God and participating in his ongoing work of creation.
There is an energy cost associated with growth and bearing fruit. There is work involved.
So that is the ‘flow’ of creation. How does the rhythm of Jesus compare?
Rhythm of Jesus
Now, while we don't have a copy of Jesus’ weekly plan or daily diary in the New Testament, we can gather some insights into Jesus' rhythm of work and rest based on his actions and teachings.
Priority time with God.
Throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus regularly taking time away from the crowds to pray and spend time with God. In Mark 1:35, for example, it says that "very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." By prioritizing time with God, Jesus was able to find rest and strength for the work ahead.
Intentional Work
Jesus was a hard worker. Carpenter, Preacher, Teacher, Healer, Shepherd. He spent a significant amount of time teaching, healing, and ministering to people.
Jesus worked with purpose and intentionality. In John 5:17, for example, Jesus says, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working."
Did not seem to Hurry
Jesus was not swayed by external pressures: In several instances, we see Jesus resisting the pressures of others to hurry or rush. For example, in John 11, when Jesus hears that his friend Lazarus is ill, he delays going to see him for two more days, despite the urgency expressed by Lazarus' sisters and his disciples. When he finally arrives, he performs a powerful miracle and raises Lazarus from the dead.
Took time to Rest
Jesus took time for rest and solitude: Throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus taking time to rest and withdraw from the crowds in order to pray and be alone with God. For example, in Mark 6:31-32, Jesus tells his disciples to come away with him to a quiet place and rest, after they had been working hard and teaching many people.
Present in the moment
In many instances throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus fully present in the moment, giving his full attention to the people he was with and the situations he encountered. For example, in Mark 5:24-34, when a woman touches his cloak in a crowd, Jesus stops and takes the time to speak with her and acknowledge her faith, even though he was on his way to another important appointment.
The flow of creation & Jesus feel rhythmically the same, complementing each other. So what can we take from this? Well ideally we should see this flow in our lives. And I have a practise to share with you that links nicely into this flow.
Working from a Place of Rest
In the book Called to Reign, the author refers to the phrase ‘Working from a Place of Rest’. This phrase was a game changer for me in terms of my mindset.
Key in this mindset is prioritising sleep & the practice of sabbath.
We often think of sleep being at the end of the day, and sabbath at the end of the week. But they are also at the beginning of the day and can be at the beginning of your week.
Thinking of them in this way, at the beginning prioritises them, they become ‘rocks in the bucket’ of our activity, ‘first things’ we do.
Let's take the practice of Sabbath.
When we think of Sabbath, I think we most of us associate this with having a ‘day off’, and in our minds tick that box as a ‘day we are not at work’. But that ‘day off’ becomes the day that we do everything else we have not been able to do because we have been working.
Sabbath is so much more, I am talking about a day where:
"Sabbath time is a gift, a sanctuary in time, when we can simply be, allowing the love of God to heal and restore us." - Wayne Muller
Here are some reasons why embracing a sabbath practice is important.
Who is in Charge?
If we don’t believe God is at work when we are resting or asleep then we know who is in the driving seat of our lives. Ultimately if we cannot set aside a day in this way, it shows our lives are orientated about us, not God. In fact we are believing we are in effect we are God. i.e. it won’t happen without us.
Grace Gift
Sabbath embraced well is a grace gift, not a legal burden or something we need to earn. It is an opportunity to delight, & be joyful. We often try and find delight in things that don’t require anything from us. But delight & joy in their essence require something from us. For example: Jesus recognized the importance of Sabbath rest. He affirmed the value of rest and restoration, and challenged the religious leaders of his day who had turned the Sabbath into a burden rather than a blessing (Mark 2:27-28).
Design
We are designed to live a certain rhythm, if we are living at odds with that rhythm there is going to be unnecessary tension in our lives. For example: We have a shredder at home. It says 5 mins shredding, 30 mins rest. That’s the way it is designed. It will burn out if it does not follow its design.
Re-orientate
A sabbath day allows us to step back from the day to day and re-orientate ourself as we see what God is doing. The cultural current is powerful and we can easily be taken off course. For example: Kids Swimming, when you see them learning to swim they put head down, bottom in the air, swim as fast as they can, run out of breath and find themselves in someone else’s lane. As a more accomplished swimmer, you put your head up & you breath, to see where you are going & to finish the race.
Rest is ultimately found in the Lord:
He is the source of rest and joy, so we need to keep coming back to him for these things. Sabbath provides an intentional way to do this. “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary” (Isaiah 40:31)
I just want at this point to make a quick segway into one of the push backs or barriers to taking a sabbath. This relates to those who are not in control of their time or have to work full time and beyond to simply exist at a basic level.
While there is an element of cost/sacrifice to a sabbath, to not be constantly ‘doing’ and a belief that God will look after our needs, we also need to remember we are in community with each other.
We often think of Sabbath as an individual activity, perhaps because of our individualistic culture, but it is in fact a communal activity, it involves doing things together and helping each other. Individually you may not feel you can take a sabbath, but in community others can help you do that, by doing work for you, helping you financially so that you are able to rest. I will leave you to dwell on that a little.
Sabbath is a practice though, therefore it takes practice, it is a habit we need to get into. Resilience is required to push back against the prevailing trends and embrace it.
When we try and embrace a ‘sabbath’ day, it can feel like it just ends in failure. It is not something that happens overnight. It is about taking steps of obedience that will ultimately add up to a live changing practice. Here are some steps to help you on your journey inspired by the Practicing the Way Podcast Series on Sabbath:
STOP: Step 1, simply be obedient and in faith set aside a 24 hour period in the week. It will be difficult, as your mindset will feel you are missing out in some way, you will panic because you will not get things done. In many ways work can be an addiction and as you stop you will get withdrawal symptoms.
REST: Step 2, learn to rest. In the absence of work, your body will want to find an alternative source of stimulus or focus, that is why we often do ‘alternative work’. You will feel worse to begin with, but it is key to press in.
DELIGHT: When the first two are in place you can begin to delight, as your focus changes from not what you should do, but what you would like to do. You begin to appreciate the things around you, you begin to see what God is doing.
WORSHIP: As you delight more, the more you will want to worship and praise the one who has created you and sustains you.
For me Sabbath is a keystone habit, one that will inform, improve, & bring life to other habits you are trying to embed. That is why Sabbath should be seen as a primary thing, a rock in our bucket.
Personally, I am at / moving into the delight phase, it has taken a while to get to this stage and sometimes times of sabbath fall back into just stopping & resting. Are there things that are not getting done, yes probably. Do I feel closer to God, see him at work more, have a better rhythm in life - absolutely. All I can say is that I could not go back to the rhythm I had before.
If Sabbath is the weekly practise, getting a good night sleep is a good daily practise. Sleep again involves handing things over to God to move forward, and resting in a gift he has given to us. It shares many of the same things to the benefits of sabbath.
There is so much more to say but do check out the books - Called to Reign - Leif Hetland / Practicing the Way - Sabbath (Podcast Series) all really helpful.
Make it Count
So there we have it, a practice that can help you create a healthy rhythm for work and rest. There is so much more that can be said, but if you completely embed this practice I guarantee they will give you a good starting point and trajectory.
One final point I want to make is around application and it is this.
Insight is not Change.
The battle used to be to acquire knowledge. Google, just about solved that. So the challenge moved on to gaining ‘insight’. With social media, Chat GPT for example, there is no shortage of people or AI offering you insight & potential solutions to your problems.
The tendency today is for us to get an ‘insight’ and believe we have solved it, we have the magic formula to change our lives for the better and change will just happen.
But we need to remember that ‘insights’ are only the beginning, wise implementation / discernment & application of those insights is where the challenge now is.
Hopefully today I have helped you discern which ‘insights’ can help you make the greatest change to create a healthy rhythm. But application is critical.
Coaching is more & more not days about walking alongside people to actually apply the change in a meaningful way, that is providing the insights.
To help you further apply this simple learning circle tool.
Kairos Moment - Hopefully today you God has nudged you on something today, your light bulb moment.
Observe / Reflect - Ask yourself, What & Why questions - for example: What am I feeling? Why am I feeling this way?
Discuss - Deliberately draw someone into the conversation - What do they think & Why?
Plan / Accountability - Deciding what you are doing next as a result of the discussions. As a minimum agree the next step you are going to take. Then share it with someone and ask them to check back on your action in the future.
The sharing in the discussion and accountability phases is critical. Sharing has a number of benefits - not only is it accountability for you (especially if you ask the person to hold you to account for this change), but also it embeds it into your life more, when you teach / pass on what you have learned and how it applies to you.
So, give the above a go and see how you get on. If you want help with this to gain some clarity, simply drop me a message to hello@fruitfulbeing.com or book a free 30 minute coaching slot.
I hope & pray this ‘Pep Talk’ blesses you and motivates you to be more fruitful. Bye for now.
Every Blessing
James.
Go Deeper
Check out my talk from the event in Cambridge, a couple of resource recommendations and some videos from my archive that touch on some of the aspects mentioned in this Pep Talk.
To Finish…
Some Quick Time & Energy Tips…
Over on Ticktok I have produced 30 short 1 minute videos to help you save time & energy. Here are a couple that relate to this months ‘Pep Talk’.
