Ever since the fall of humankind, our relationship with work has been cursed, “Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. “Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return” (Gen 3:17–19, NASB). Originally, God gave humans the task of working in a garden, where exhausting labor was unnecessary. Thus, work was a God-given duty and lacked the frustration and weariness that characterizes work after the fall. Yet, God gives us rest. God gave Israel the sabbath as a blessing so that they would not work on the seventh day. Jesus even said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28).

Even today with all our machinery and modern conveniences, many are unable to enjoy God’s blessing of rest. We have become workaholics, and often by our own choice. It may be that we enjoy work too much because it gives us purpose. If this is the case, we need to find our purpose in Christ so that when we work, we work and find enjoyment in him; when we rest, we will rest and find enjoyment in him. Perhaps it is because we want to get ahead and put in more hours to build more financial security. If this is the case, we should heed the words of the psalmist, “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.” (Ps 127:1–2, ESV).

I have already written an article on this topic, but this time I am writing this for myself. I am in the middle of studying for finals and have neglected many things due to studying nearly every waking moment of the day. I will concede to myself and others that there are seasons in life where we will be busier and work more. Yet we need these reminders from Scripture that tells us to stop and find rest in the Lord and know that he gives sleep to his beloved.