The Best Day Off Ever

By the seventh day, God had finished his work, and so he rested. God blessed the seventh day and made it special, because on that day he rested from his work. Genesis 2:2-3

As many of you know, God created the heavens and the earth and everything else within it in six days. I say many because perhaps someone subscribes to the Big Bang Theory, or someone has never heard that. In our day, Labor Day is that holiday observed on the first Monday of every September in honor of all the working men and women deserving of a day to rest. To most of us, Labor Day symbolizes the end of summer in its traditional iteration and lazy days - even if the heat just won't quit. Fashionistas may get that final wearing of their all-white linen attire, and my white loafers are destined for the back of the closet until next spring. God illustrates to us through the six days of creation and resting on the seventh day that we all need a day off. If he took a day off to reflect on his work, why won't we rest? Are we better than our perfect God? No, but the way we work lends us to hypocrisy.

You may sit back and wonder "how am I a hypocrite to God's will and ethic concerning work?" Here's how: Besides the obvious punching the clock seven days of the week, you (and I) sin by not allowing ourselves time to recharge our batteries. As strong as our bodies and minds are, we need the time off to recuperate;  otherwise, you run the risk of burnout.  Once you're burned out, your talents become a shell of themselves. This is one reason why working a second job can become dangerous beyond a temporary need to make money for debt repayment, vacation, or simply to get by. Eventually, living on a four-hour nap catches up whether you like it or not - and it won't be pretty.

In a world which our occupation determines our worth to society, we have to remember that what we do isn't who we are despite the benefits of a title. The pimply-faced cashier at McDonald's is on the same plane as the President of the United States in one key regard: Both need time to step away and smell the roses every once in a while. Teachers look forward to summer break because (in theory) in represents seven weeks of rest and life away from the alarm clock; in reality, many educators are taking continuing education courses, completing an advanced degree, thoughtfully planning next year's curriculum, or maintaining credentials. While that is fine, trouble arises when they try to take on too much. Guess who suffers first? Family. Instead of lasting memories of that trip to the mountains, all kids tend to recall is dad being too busy for them as mom shuttles them from school to daycare to after-school activities in her own frazzled state. No Android phone, nor Yukon Denali, nor McMansion on the lake is worth the loss of joy.

I can imagine God overlooking the earth and all of the meticulous attention he paid in making the world. After six days' labor, I'm certain he patted himself on the back, sayin well done.

He created the following:
Day 1:  Day and night
Day 2:  The sky
Day 3:  Land and seas, vegetation: plants bearing seeds and fruit trees
Day 4:  The sun, moon and stars, set in the sky to separate light from darkness
Day 5:  Birds and fish
Day 6:  Animals and mankind
Day 7:  Rest

Day 7 was the best day off EVER.