“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” – Genesis 2:2-3, NIV
Some people don’t seem to see taking a break as an option. Whether because of limited time, guilt over not doing anything or conflicting priorities, it can seem that taking a break is a misuse of time and an inappropriate choice. However, this is merely a lie we tell ourselves.
Taking breaks is important. Let’s look at some examples of Bible verses about rest. As early as Genesis 2, intentional rest is seen in the Bible. On the seventh day, God himself rested from creating the world. In Exodus, one of the Ten Commandments instructs us to remember the Sabbath, a day for the Lord after six days of work.
Fast-forward to the New Testament and we can see that even Jesus took the time to rest. In Mark 4, Jesus sleeps on a boat despite the tumultuous storm raging around him.
In Luke 10:38-42, we hear the story of two sisters, Mary and Martha. Martha is busy preparing everything for Jesus and Mary sits at his feet. When Martha inquires about getting Mary’s help, Jesus tells her that Mary chose what was better.
It is okay to take a break and rest in God’s presence. The Bible warns us not to become lazy, but it also encourages finding rest for your soul in Jesus Christ.