Kyle Kauffman

We have a tendency to view rest with either suspicion or as optional add-on to our lives. We think, “If I rest, won’t I miss out on something important in my life, or even worse, become lazy.” Or we think, “Rest is a good thing, but I just don’t have time to rest. Maybe if I get everything done, I’ll rest. Or maybe in another stag of life, I’ll be able to rest. But for now, there is no time to rest.” But from the start for the world, God gave people rest, commanded people to rest, and has connected rest with our faith in him. While the Sabbath looks different for us then it did for the Israelites, the principle remains the same. Rest is not bad, it is good. Rest is not optional, it is necessary. Rest provides the space for us to remember and worship the God who created and sustains everyone and everything. We are invited and commanded to pause and rest so that we might have time to wonder at God, the world he’s made, and the life he’s given to us.

Genesis 1:31-2:3; Exodus 20:8-11