It’s not negotiable.

Unless lightning is in the area or a church member which I’m really close to is near death, (in other words, unless someone is dying or I could die) I’m playing golf on Friday morning.

Why? (See: 6+1, The First Math Problem We Should Teach Our Kids)

Because if I don’t, I’ll work.

I love my job, at least most of it. While there are some aspects which are irritating, the vast majority of what I do is deeply meaningful and often enjoyable.

It’s at the core of who I am. Paid or unpaid, I would do what I do. It’s one of the reasons I’m happy in life—I love what I do. (See: Three Loves to Change Your Life)

However, even if you love what you do, you can’t do it all the time. You weren’t created to do so.

We were created to work, but we were created to work around periods of rest. It’s the rhythm of life.

We see it modeled for us:

• We inhale and exhale.
• The sun rises and sets.
• The heart contracts and rests.
• We plant and harvest.

Life is lived in a rhythm and we were created to submit to that rhythm.

One of the great rhythms of life is work and rest.

Yet humanity often ignores this rhythm. (See: You Chose This–a Reflection on Time Management)

Some ignore it by refusing to work. We were created to work but we are prone to laziness. We have energy, talents, and resources which have been given to us in order to make the world better. Unless we are finding a way to contribute to those around us, we will not be happy. Work doesn’t have to be something we are paid to do. We were not created to have jobs. We were created to contribute to society. Unless we are using our God-given gifts for the benefit of others, we are operating contrary to how we were created.

Some ignore it by refusing to rest. While many refuse to work, most of the people I’m involved with refuse to rest. We are deceiving ourselves into believing we are more important than we actually are. The world can go on without us. While we are important, we are not indispensable. Not only can we rest, we must rest. We are not able to operate at a constant pace. We need sleep, rest, a change of pace, and a time to simply “be” instead of always “doing.”

Unless we work and rest, we will not experience satisfaction. Resting without work will make us restless. Working without rest will make us exhausted. We must do both. We were created to do both. (See: How To Determine What To Do–at Work, in Marriage, in Life)

Do you work?

• Do you regularly use your talents for the well-being of others?
• Are your days regularly filled with meaningful work which gives you a sense of satisfaction?
• Is someone or something better because of your contributions?

Do you rest?

• Are there set times of the week set aside for you or your family which are off-limits to others’ expectations?
• Is there something which refreshes you on a weekly basis?
• Is there something you do on a regular basis for no other reason except you enjoy it?

Look around, life is lived in rhythm. The process is clear—work and rest. Do not be deceived into thinking you can live outside of this rhythm without experiencing negative consequences. This is how we were created to be. We would be wise to submit to that creation.