It is dangerous to speak, write, or live in extremes. And yet, extremes are what sells books, drives clicks, and creates buzz. With that in mind, you might have noticed books, articles, sermons, and lectures aimed at pursuing rest or prioritizing Sabbath in recent years. For the record, I agree with others that the Bible prioritizes rest and Sabbath. I’m not writing to suggest otherwise.
However, the Bible also prioritizes hard work and diligence and condemns laziness and idleness. Consider the following verses for example:
Genesis 2:15
The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.
Proverbs 12:24
The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor.
Proverbs 20:13
Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread.
Proverbs 6:6-11
Go to the ant, O sluggard;
consider her ways, and be wise.
Without having any chief,
officer, or ruler,
she prepares her bread in summer
and gathers her food in harvest.
How long will you lie there, O sluggard?
When will you arise from your sleep?
A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest,
and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
and want like an armed man.
Ecclesiastes 10:18
Through sloth the roof sinks in,
and through indolence the house leaks.
Colossians 3:23
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,
2 Thessalonians 3:10-12
For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.
Ephesians 4:28
Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.
In modern American society, too much work is not the primary problem for most people (though certainly there are some who need to hear that message). The average American in 2025 has about seven hours more leisure time per week than the average American in 1970. Compared with people in the ancient world whose entire existence depended upon working from sunrise until sunset in agriculture, food preparation, making or mending clothes, and maintenance of necessary shelter, modern Americans are inundated with leisure time.
And yet, many Americans complain that they have little leisure time and regularly feel anxious and burnt out. It is that common feeling of anxiety and stress that has led many to write and teach on rest and Sabbath. But rest is not all there is to life.
The relentless pursuit of rest should come as a part of life rhythms that include working heartily for the Lord. The command for Sabbath given to God’s people in the Old Testament was a gift to people who had been redeemed from slavery. People who had never known rest were given sabbath as a blessing from the Lord to spend time with him and with his people. But, it was also given as a shadow of the greater and more perfect Sabbath that was to come in Jesus Christ.
Is it wrong to rest or to work to avoid hurry and chaos? No. Is it wrong to set aside a day per week to devote to the Lord? Absolutely not.
But, some people may not be anxious because they do not have time for rest or leisure, for some people, their anxiety may have an opposite cause.
It is possible to be hurried or anxious because of the people and forces outside of you, but it is also possible that your anxiety and personal chaos is the result of your own idleness. In other words, it is possible that a lack of rest is not your real issue, but a lack of focused, diligent, and regular work.
A 40 hour work week is great because it keeps employees from being exploited by their employers, but it is an American invention. Working more than 40 hours per week is not some sort of sin and it is not necessarily robbing from your family.
Wasting time on your phone or TV or spending an inordinate amount of time at the gym or pursuing your own hobbies may very well be a sin that is creating anxiety in you and robbing your family of investment they deserve.
I’m not writing to encourage you to not rest or not sleep. In fact, I’m a big advocate for getting plenty of sleep (see www.7-strong.org). I’m only encouraging you to make certain that you work at least as diligently as you rest, and that you rest in ways that bring about restoration and connection with God and the people you love.
