Sometimes, people feel guilty for taking time off from work, even though God commands us to do so. (See Exodus 20:8-11) Jesus relaxed, and there is no indication he ever felt guilty about it.

We know he consistently took time off. He took time off, even though there was still work to do. He hadn’t healed every body. There always were more people waiting to hear him teach.

The world wasn’t 100 percent Christian. There were more people to reach. There was more preaching, teaching, healing and ministry to be done. But Jesus intentionally chose to stop and rest.

Think about this: if God took a day off after creation, and Jesus took time off when he was only going to be here such a short time, why do we think we are so important that the world will collapse if we take some time off?

In some ways, an unwillingness to take a day off is somewhat arrogant. It is like we are saying, “I’ve got so much work to do, I’m so important, the world can’t get along without me.”

I’ve got news for you. The world won’t shut down if you drop dead of a heart attack tomorrow. The company won’t fold. The business won’t close. Life will go on, and it may go on without you if you continually violate this Sabbath principle.

We need to rest physically, mentally and emotionally. The Sabbath principle also allows time to recharge our emotions. Work’s stress has a way of draining a person. We need to find ways to replenish and recharge our emotions. That happens through periods of solitude.

We live in a world that is polluted with noise. It’s difficult to find a place where you can be totally quiet. Yet the Bible says, “In quietness, you will find your strength.” (See Psalm 46:10)

Quietness and soul restoration go hand in hand. We all need some quiet time. I once heard about a jungle safari guide who told the group he was leading that they were going to stop and rest so their souls can catch up with our bodies.

I have often thought about that. We’re speeding through life so fast. We’re always in a hurry. Sometimes, we need to stop so our soul can catch up with our body.

We do that in periods of quietness. Next time, we’ll consider some additional ways to recharge our emotions as we implement time for Sabbath.

You may read Steve Greene’s blog at pastorgreene.wordpress.com or you can email him at [email protected].