Rest vs. Work - The Debate, The Design, The Solution

Recently I was interviewed by a seminary student I am honored to be mentoring.  The subject of the interview was ensuring rest in the life of a minister.

The questions were well thought out, and this particular subject being the crux of many a current book, it was a fresh discussion.

Toward the end of the interview, the young man asked me one of his final questions, "How would you suggest that a minister ensures he gets enough rest?"  It didn't take me long to answer, and I think it caught him a little off guard.

"Work your butt off for six days, and on the seventh day, you won't struggle to rest at all.  It's the Texas ranch-hand philosophy, all day doing ranch-work, and sleepin' is easy!"

Work-life balance... there's another word for that, "hogwash!"  Sometimes we protect our days off so much that people should just die on their own time.  For me, my official workdays are Sunday through Thursday, and typically I pull work through the cracks of the weekend as it's needed.  Oddly enough, it works right out to be God's 6:1 ratio for work vs. rest.  Here's an idea I think would bless the lives of both pastors and our churches, "Work together, live in peace."  Of course I'm going to hunt and fish with my children, but I can't go lazy toward my work in the process.  Perhaps we should consider that laziness breeds lethargy, and that God expects His servants to serve at His plow.

I want to rest because I've worked my tail off at the things of God all week.  I want to fall into the arms of my wife and know that I did all that could be done to bring in God's herd.  I want to be so stinkin' tired from good, strong work, that my children can use my belly like a trampoline and I can still take a nap!

God's program is simple.  God's design is strong.  Man's laziness is vomitous.

Pastors of the world, work hard today; we have been called to a great and mighty service of the Almighty God!  Rest well when you have run your six days, and may our children's children know that we have served the Lord!

In the peace of Christ,

Pastor John