Balanced work.

Day 17

Ruth 2:7b

“So she came, and she has continued from early morning until now, except for a short rest.”

Balanced work.

Balance. Here we are in this verse again. There is a lot to unpack here. Our society is one of extremes. Maybe because they are the easiest and loudest. It’s either the extreme right or the extreme left. It’s either black or white. It’s either a life that screams total depravity or one that sits in harsh and graceless judgment, portraying a holier-than-thou attitude, hoping that it will give us some brownie points with our peers, or at least some sense of justice or self-justification. As a church, we have fallen for centuries into the trap of that type of thinking. Depending on what we are trying to communicate, we make examples of those who have had the worst lives and came to Jesus (a good thing, yes, a great thing), those whose change is so visible and radical. Or we highlight those who have given the most money for a given project. It’s just a human thing.

As humans, we struggle with balance. We live in a timeline, so everything has to happen in order. We are single-sighted, so we see only that which is in front of us. Depending on our own story.

While all that may be true, the reality is that most of us live in the grey. Most of our lives happen in the bell curve, and any extreme either way will alter the average, thus moving the standard deviation. That is why the world will see a scandal in one church and immediately judge the entire Church of Jesus by that standard. Sad, isn’t it?

It is no different in our daily lives. How many of us have heard the term “work/life balance”? Some people are either too diligent or too lazy. There are the workaholics, and there are those for whom work is only a necessary evil. Ruth was neither. While she worked hard all day, she also understood the importance of a short rest. Some translations add, in the shelter or in the house. Yet, we are constantly reminded of the need not to take our work home with us, to rest, to take time off. Our God Himself is the first example. Genesis 2:2 points out that ”on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.” And then, “God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.” Rest was so important to God that He included it in the Ten Commandments. Rest was not only a suggestion; it was a mandate.

So, #getittogethergirl, work hard, but don’t forget to get your due rest. Allow your body, your soul, and your mind to recharge their batteries. Get the rest you deserve and praise God for it, worship Him on that day, and come back rested and refreshed. This is the way to honor God for all He has given you in His wonderful grace.

Dear Lord, I admit it has been a long day, week, season. I have worked hard and long. But it is time to get the rest I need. I give you all my burdens, my fatigue, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual. I put them in your hands. Give me the peace that no one understands, not even myself. In Jesus’ name, amen.

My reflections:

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28