Remember to Rest 记得休息
Author: Ps Ben So
“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”
Working from home (WFH) was becoming a trend and COVID-19 gave it the final push to become the new norm. Where previously there was clear demarcation between the office and home, providing some buffer between work and rest, the lines now are infinitely blurred. To ensure accountability and productivity, there is even an employee-monitoring software for supervisors to check if their subordinates are really working! And since the need for commuting is now removed, some companies are making use of this freed up time for more online meetings. So much so that many have developed a new condition known as screen fatigue where there is a fear of attending webinars.
This phenomenon is also observed in churches where hardworking leaders, in their effort to ensure the welfare of church members, will arrange for more online ministry meetings in their after-work hours. Brothers and sisters, let us just sit back for a moment and reflect upon how we lived our lives for the past few months. Did we truly observe the Sabbath? Are we getting enough rest?
After God finished His work on the seventh day, He rested from all His work. We know that God does not need to rest but He is showing us that we need to rest. This is the standard that God has set for the humankind to follow. Rest is so important that it is one of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8-11). Moses repeated this Commandment in Deuteronomy 5:12-15 before the Israelites enter into the Promised Land.
I once shared my testimony in one of my sermons at the English service, that I had a major exam on a Monday morning when I was still at the seminary. But I refused to study on Sunday. Instead, I chose to wake up at 4 am on Monday morning to go through my notes once more. My action back then seemed counter-intuitive but I saw this as an expression of my trust in God. To rest is a way of showing trust in God.
Brothers and sisters, in this climate where we are being pushed to work harder than ever, let us learn to rest and trust in God. Let us be reminded that our sole Provider is our Father above.
文/苏振豪传道
翻译/王珮瑾师母
“到 第 七 日 ， 神 造 物 的 工 已 经 完 毕 ， 就 在 第 七 日 歇 了 祂 一 切 的 工 ， 安 息 了 。神 赐 福 给 第 七 日 ， 定 为 圣 日 ； 因 为 在 这 日 ， 神 歇 了 祂一 切 创 造 的 工 ， 就 安 息 了 。”
就在居家办公逐渐普遍的时候，突如其来的新冠状疫情把它变成了新规范。办公场所与家曾经有一道清楚的分界线，让人们在工作以外有休息，喘气的空间。如今，这条分界线已模糊不清。为了保持工作效率及确保员工在工作时间确实在工作，竟然有一种提供给上司们监督员工工作的软件！更雪上加霜的是，因为居家办公减少了往返工作场所的需要，空出来的时间就被公司利用，多开几次网上会议。几个月下来，不少人便患上了屏幕疲劳，对网上会议产生恐惧感。
这种现象也出现在教会里。勤劳苦干的领袖们，为了确保牧区得到良好的照顾，在一天辛苦工作下班后，仍要安排网上会议来进行更多讨论。弟兄姐妹们，是时候让我们静下心来，回想一下过去的几个月，我们是如何生活的。我们是否有认真看待安息日? 我们得到充足的休息了吗？
神在第七日，造物的工完毕后，歇了他一切的工。我们知道神其实是不需要休息的，祂如此行乃是为了为人作榜样。这是神为人类所定的规律。休息的重要性足以让它被列入十诫当中(出埃及记20:8-11)。摩西也在申命记5:12-15，在以色列人进入应许之地之前重复了这道诫命。
我曾经在一次英语崇拜的讲道中，分享过我还在神学院读书的经历。当时，我在某个星期一有一个重要的考试，但是我拒绝在前一天，也就是星期天温书。反而，我选择了隔天凌晨4点起身，来做最后的复习。我当时的这种选择像是违反直觉的，但是我认为那是一种对神信心的表现。休息是一种相信神的表现。