How we work and rest reveals a lot about where we find our hope, security, identity, and value. Our “holiday” habits reveal what is “holy” to us. 

Most people work hard so they can play hard. Long hours of frantic labor require extended seasons of relaxing leisure to recuperate. We live for the weekend and pine for the vacation, even though we tend to only feel fulfilled when we are being productive. Even when we find time to get away, we do not know how to rest because we are so used to being overstimulated and overconnected. Our souls are hungry, and merely emptying our calendar for a few days fails to satisfy our appetites.  
 

These pangs of our famished souls are designed to remind us that the Lord himself created us for both work and rest. In the Old Testament, the Lord gave the nation of Israel patterns for rest that shaped their habits of work. Seven holy feasts anchored their calendar, marking the times and seasons for both rest and work. One day in seven of each week was holy unto the Lord, set apart for his worship and enjoyment, establishing a pattern to remember their place in his creation.  
 

Jesus fulfilled all of these holy days as “The Lord of the Sabbath.” While no longer binding on believers today, these feasts each point to a unique aspect of Christ’s first and second coming. The rhythms of the Old Testament sabbaths and festivals still have much to teach us about how to work and rest in light of Jesus. Together, they draw our attention to his finished work and the endless rest he will provide. Ultimately, they remind us that the most restful (and productive) thing we can do is take time together as the people of God to taste and see that the Lord is good. 
 

This Spring, join us as we learn to feast on the fullness of the finished work of Christ.