Hard work is a great thing–but ‘anxious toil’ shows a lack of faith in God. God doesn’t promise that every season will be easy, but he gives rest to those he loves.
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Scripture
Psalm 127:2
It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.
Observation
Getting up early and working late sounds like a great way to maximize productivity and accomplish more each day! But this passage calls out a subtle danger in this approach to life: Though self-control honors God, excessive self-reliance displays a lack of trust in the one who provides for me. Hard work is a great thing–but ‘anxious toil’ shows a lack of faith in God. God doesn’t promise that every season will be easy, but he gives rest to those he loves.
Application
Some seasons are busier than others, and some stresses seem to weigh heavier on me than others. When things get intense and life feels like it’s beginning to spin out of control, it’s easy to slip into the rat race of pushing harder and harder to achieve more and more. One late night at work stretches into two, then into a week of exhaustion. Somewhere along the way my time with God starts getting postponed in favor of more work and more effort. If I’m not careful, my devotions, prayer time, and even my attendance and participation in weekly worship gatherings will be placed on the back burner. All of this comes down to one simple question–Is God the provider and the answer to my problems, or am I?
If God is the provider and the answer, then I can trust that my time spent in his presence is not wasted. If I am the provider and the answer to my own issue, then everything else can get set aside in favor of me working and striving harder.
Of course, the truth is that God is the provider and he always will be. As I deeply and truly accept this fact into my heart, I can learn to trust God enough to welcome the rest that he provides–even in the busy seasons.
Prayer
God, thank you for this reminder that you are the provider and not I. This week, I choose to trust you and welcome the rest that you give me–instead of striving in vain to solve my own issues by myself. I know that the time I spend in your presence is not in vain, and I thank you for being my savior and my God.
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