Dear Friends,
It is nice to be back with a new blog after a few weeks’ break! As many will know the break from blogging is so we can concentrate on the launch of my first published book. Please go and have a look and purchase a copy from Amazon https://amzn.to/3hIEFYv if you haven’t. You can also watch videos of the book launch on our FMM YouTube Channel http://bit.ly/fmmyoutubechannel
I have decided to focus the next few blogs on the biblical principles of work which I alluded to in my second blog https://fmministry.co.uk/example-blog-post2. This is because I believe that once we get the foundational principles of work right, based on the word of God, every other aspect would fall nicely in place.
The principles we hold, whether rightly or wrongly, and our preconceived expectations, past experiences are important in determining how we process and interpret information, and act on them. McLeod, S. A. (2008, October 24). Information processing. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/information-processing.html
As I previously explained, I am going to focus exclusively on the biblical description of perfect work as that is what we are aiming. This perfect work is demonstrated by GOD in creation, by Adam and Eve in the first few chapters of the Bible before sin entered the world, and from the example of Jesus as the only perfect Man and God.
The first of these principles I want to start with today is the rhythm of work and rest.
Rhythm of work and rest
There is a lot of biblical and worldly debate about the need to balance work and rest with most agreeing that getting the balance right is crucial. There are available numerous research articles and professional discussion forums on how to get the right balance. A simple Google search will reveal several articles https://bit.ly/balancebetweenworkandrest. There are various other Christian views in the application of these in the Sabbath and I will touch briefly on this later.
The scriptures reveal to us that the entire universe was created in a rhythm of night and day for 7 days; a week that stands as a memorial for how we must also live in obedience to God in our work (Genesis 1:1-31; 2:1-3).
The Bible informs us that the first thing God did was to introduce light and then separate light from the darkness (Genesis 1:3). I believe this is significant to this discussion as we need to separate work into what is acceptable (light) and what is not (darkness). Examples of work that would be classified as darkness are stealing, drug dealing, prostitution, and other illegal activities. Some work types are not so clearly defined and if you have concerns that your work may not be in the light, for example, if you are doing an acceptable job but with false documentation, then please pray to God about your situation and speak to a trusted brethren if you need advice. We will also be happy to listen and pray along with you if you like.
After God separated light and darkness, each day was then demarcated for the work of creation. The work God did each day was described. Then there was the evening when work ceased and nothing more was heard from God until He starts again in the morning.
My understanding of this example from God is that we must have a clear demarcation of when we start work and when we finish followed by a period of rest until we start again the following day. This is the perfect demonstration of daily rhythm. This is particularly relevant at this time when many of us are working from home. I believe God did not write down in the scripture what He did in the night because on one hand, He does not need sleep and rest as we do and on the other hand, He wants to give us the freedom to choose how we obtain our rest. What we do to rest from our daily work is individual to us, as long as it is not something sinful. Sleep is, however, the most common example of rest for us.
For people who work different hours such as evenings and nights, the application is the same but they need to operate their daily rhythms at different times. Finding this balanced rhythm is more difficult for people who work irregular shift patterns.
A further pointer of what we should be doing in our ‘evenings’ can be illustrated by God’s relationship with Adam and Eve. Genesis 3:8 describes God walking in the garden in the cool of the day which shows both God in leisure after work and in fellowship with His children. We should also do the same.
So I hope you will agree with me, based on God’s example, that we need to have an established work and rest rhythm for the week which meets our need for productivity in work and relaxation outside of work.
Below is an example of my usual daily activity in hours and percentages:
How I spend my day
May I suggest that you also complete this personal activity by writing down either in words, pie chart, bar chart, or any other visible way how your day and week is set up so you can see where you may need to make a change?
With regards to a ‘Sabbath day’ of rest, there are many schools of thought on if, when, and how the day should be kept and so I believe every follower of Christ must be personally convinced of what position to take.
I believe the relevant Bible text is Genesis 2:2-3 ‘By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day, he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done’.
This scripture sets the tone and establishes the first reason for Sabbath-keeping and we are all to follow GOD’s example. Because He specifically rested on the seventh day of creation, the Sabbath has universal validity. Exodus 20:8-11 shows that the keeping of the Sabbath as a religious day of worship has its foundation firmly anchored in Genesis 1 and 2.
Jesus Christ, perfect Man and God gave practical examples of how to observe the Sabbath. He expects us, just like Him, to observe it in the spirit and not in legalistic terms. Jesus told us He has come to fulfil the law (Matthew 5:17-20), that the Sabbath was created for man (Mark 2:24-28), and that there are permissible activities for the Sabbath (Luke 6:1-10).
Based on scriptures and the example from Jesus, my conviction is that I must set a day aside in the week to cease my usual work. I believe I have freedom on what day I choose and what I do on that day but whatever I do must be directed towards rest and worship of my God. As I work weekdays, my weekend is when I can cease from my usual secular work. I, therefore, try as much as possible to set out a day during the weekend when I mostly rest and engage in other spiritual activities such as praying, fasting, reading scriptures, evangelism, Church fellowship, and reaching out to support others.
Rest your own way
I hope that after you have read this blog, and maybe done the personal exercise, we will all have gained the understanding that we need a good and balanced pattern of work and rest. Most importantly, I pray that we will seek to obtain the true spiritual rest, which cannot be obtained by any ritualistic observance but through complete faith in the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ.
According to His words in Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus is inviting us to come to Him with all our heavy burdens so we can obtain His rest. I pray that we will be fully refreshed and inspired by the time we start work each day so that our work can be a masterpiece for the glory of God. I pray that each evening we will look back to what we have done and say ‘it was very good’ and all glory to God.
Please let us have your thoughts and comments on this blog as we would appreciate your feedback. You can email us at FM Ministry hello@fmministry.co.uk or use the comment box below. You may also connect with us on Social Media.
God bless you and keep growing in the image of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Adesina
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