Jesus and a day off

Do you think Jesus ever took a sick day? Today, I decided to call in, no I did not call in sick, I emailed my boss and told him I was going to work from home. In actuality I have nothing to do at work today, and haven’t for the last week or so. I am waiting on software to be installed on my computer, and can’t do my job until it is, and I have work I could be doing around the house. So today is a sick day for me, sick of sitting at work doing nothing all day long…

 

So do you think Jesus ever felt that way? Do you think he ever woke up and said, I’m not going to go in to work today, everyone has been asking me so many questions and all the walking around from town to town is just getting to me,  so nope, today I am going to sit here, and just rest.

 

We have proof that Jesus did rest, we hear several times in the bible that Jesus went off to pray, and be by himself.  That’s just a nice way of saying to rest, and to be with God.

 

We all need days of rest, God built it in to the plan, and Sunday is the day of rest. But really how many of us rest on Sundays? I know I don’t, as a youth minister, Sunday is my main day of action, I wake up, get showered and dressed and meet my family for breakfast, then its off to Church, after Church I either go and get the supplies I need for youth group or return home to have a few hours of down time, then its off to the Church for youth group. My Sundays start at 8am and end at 9pm or latter; so really no rest there. Monday through Saturday is really no better, I work all week and on Saturday I have to get done everything around the house that did not get done all week.

 

So today, is my day of rest! Well not really, I am going to clean up the house a little, not really work to much, just do a little of this and a little of that.

 

I love days like this, it seems to me that I get more done, no rush, no hurry, just do what I want when I want, if I get to it great if not, it will be there the next time I want to get to it. So in a lot of ways, it is rest for me.

 

So once again, do you think Jesus ever did that, just decided to take a day off. I would have to say yes! We all need days like today, days just to move slow and take it easy. I am sure Jesus did also. I mean he was human after all, and I am sure his friends got to him every now and then.

 

The bible makes it sound like they where together 24/7, that can’t be, everyone needs time to them selves, time to spend with God all on your own. So I am sure there where times when Jesus called in sick, or just took the day off, just to do a lot of nothing.

 

Who knows, I may just decide to sit and read a good book, enjoy the spring weather we are having in Michigan at the moment, or I may get really ambitious and clean the house top to bottom. But my guess is that I will do something in-between, read a little, clean a little, and rest a lot!

 

So the next time you read about Jesus going off to be by himself, imagine him jut sitting under a tree, reading a good book (it would be a Stephen King book if you ask me), with a cup of hot coffee, just relaxing and being one with himself and one with God.

 

In today’s world of work, work, work, I think it’s important to remember to rest, rest, and rest also.  God commanded it, so I am obeying God today, with a day off work, I know I am stretching it a bit by saying God told me to take today off, and he didn’t, well not in a direct way. But indirectly He did, my body and mind just need to be. I just need to rest, and recoup my energy.

 

So I will spend the day doing what ever I wish, and allow the waters of relaxation wash over me, renewing my spirit so I can return to work on Monday hoping and praying that the software I need is installed so I can work, work and work!

 

Paul