“The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.” Psalm 16:6
Today was balmy 70 degrees after a long stint of winter-like weather. Getting outside and walking in the spritzing rain was a nice change of pace and listening to sweet birds chirping through the screen door was a delightful treat.
Psalm 23:1-3 was going through my mind as I admired the cheerful music the birds were making. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want; He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me by still waters. He restores my soul…”
The Lord ordains all things. He planned all things, knows all things, and holds all things together. If we’re trusting Him, following Him, and relying on Him then why are we so tired, so weary, so in need of refreshment?
The world keeps us busy. Not the good kind of busy, though. The Bible tells us to work and avoid slothfulness. We gain fulfillment from working. We are programmed for purpose. But we also need to rest.
In the book Great Expectations, a character named Wemmick had excellent work life and home life balance. Wemmick befriended Pip, the protagonist, and through their friendship, Pip came to notice the safeguards Wemmick installed at home to keep from getting pulled back into the “office” mindset. As soon as Wemmick walked out of the office, the work day was behind him and the pleasantness of home awaited. His very face would shift into a more relaxed grin the closer he got to home.
Perhaps we shouldn’t disconnect so completely when at home, as our jobs have kingdom implications; we ought to pray over work related things at home and seek guidance about work on our personal time. But, today’s society has programmed employers and employees to ignore the boundaries of home life and work life with grave consequences.
Surely, we’ve all witnessed it in our circles or maybe even personally how our jobs are never done. At home and off the clock, we check emails, alerts, answer calls, stay later, come in early, sacrifice here, give up time there. Just to wake up, go to work, and do it all again.
The fault doesn’t all fall upon bosses as we are the ones giving in to the pressure to work like we have no physical, emotional, or spiritual limits-buying all the energy drinks and fastfood meals and paling under the expectations at home.
We know too much is being asked. We get frustrated and aggravated. Maybe we even get sick. But something about how society expects us to give 250 percent nags at us, and we comply. The devil tells us we won’t look as good as someone else. Our work will be behind schedule or under prepared. People won’t like us if we implement and maintain boundaries. We won’t
succeed if we take a normal pace that includes time for church activities, hobbies, or even sleeping in late.
Workers are more “connected” to the workplace then ever before. Most jobs require employees to have apps to stay connected and communicate through. The problem is now we carry work everywhere with us in our pockets or in our purses. Notifications ding and rack up in a red circle with numbers. We feel compelled to check or reply.
God wants workers. He doesn’t want a world of weary 9 to 5, 7 to 3, or even 6 to 6ers. God’s design for rest is one day with nothing to do but commune with Him. More than that, He wants professionals who can draw the line and invest in their families with no stresses or distractions from work. He wants families that feel connected, whole, and loved, that don’t come second to the almighty dollar. We have to work. There is no minimizing the need for money, but we don’t have to sell our families, our health, and our personal contentment to get it.
Workers, make and maintain boundaries. Do things that give life and connect with God. Make time for that.
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name.” Psalm 23:1-3