The old joke runs that preachers have the best job in the world since they only work for an hour on Sunday. In my experience, that is far from the truth. Being a pastor is like running a small business. Most pastors work at least 50 hours a week, and they still feel like there is so much more to do. (why? because there is much more to do!) Many pastors are people pleasers, and they work to prove to themselves and others that they are worth their pay. While there are some ignorant people out there who do not believe pastors should be paid well, most understand that pastors have a difficult job. They are worth every penny they are paid (with their skill set, what would they be paid in the business world?), and congregations need to safeguard their pastors from burnout and fatigue.
How can we do this? Insist that pastors take a Sabbath rest. As I said, most pastors feel like there is more to do, so they cheat and work through their Sabbath. There is always someone to help, so they keep on working. Unfortunately and I think incorrectly, others feel like Sunday is the Sabbath so that is their day off. I know I often work 15 to 16 hour days on Sundays. How is that a day off? How is that rest? Ironically, God's word, the very thing pastors are supposed to defend and protect, has much to say about the Sabbath. It is even one of the big 10! Today we will look at Exodus 20: 8-11.
In Exodus 20 Moses gives the following rational for keeping the Sabbath. He states, "For in six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; ... for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy." What does this mean? Why is this really important? Is it just another seemingly arbitrary rule?
No, here in Exodus, Moses tells us to rest because it illustrates our trust in God. We can rest assured that the Lord will complete all the work, as He did in creation. We follow His example because He is able to finish all his work and make the seventh day holy or set apart. Why is it so hard for pastors and all work-a-holics to believe this? Here is the root of our sin. We think God could not do without us. Thus, we have to "help" people because without us, the Kingdom would fall! Of course this is crazy, but our actions show us what we really believe. Repent and rest in Christ as the one who builds the Kingdom. As you find yourselves itching for work, repent and ask for mercy and grace to enjoy the Lord's complete control of the universe. After all, He made it all!
For those who claim that Sunday is the Sabbath and it is a rest. I say hogwash! (with all the full Jewish implications) We need a rest! As Jesus tells us, "The Sabbath was made for Man, not man for the Sabbath." (Mark 2:27) If you labor on Sunday, take another day and set it apart as holy unto the Lord. Repent of your hard-heartedness which denies that God can and will work without you. Learn to enjoy Him. Again, as you find yourselves itching for work, repent and ask for mercy and grace to enjoy the Lord's complete control of the universe. After all, He made it all!
Friday is my Sabbath, so I write and post for my Sabbath on Thursday night. I trust the Lord is at work in spite of me as well as through me!
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