Is Labor Day EVERY DAY for You?
I remember the first time I got a truly restful night of sleep after retiring from the military. I woke up and thought, “Is this what real sleep feels like? What have I been doing all these years?”
It was a revealing moment.
People are creatures of habit and routine. What we habitually do becomes our routine, and routines evolve into our practice. The practices we repeat shape our thoughts, behaviors, and eventually our lifestyles. They can be so familiar that we stop asking whether they are still serving us well.
As I reflect on Labor Day, I am reminded that the holiday was established to recognize the contributions and achievements of workers whose labor helps create prosperity and well-being.
Perhaps Labor Day offers us another opportunity to consider not only the value of our labor, but the value of our rest.
For much of my life, working hard was my practice. I grew up as a student-athlete and later became a military officer. Discipline and physical fitness became a way of life. I lived by exercise, hard work, perseverance, and making progress with zero tolerance for failure.
Over the years, I subscribed to different exercise programs and workout regimens. Eventually, exercise became so embedded in my thinking that I no longer needed someone else to design a routine for me. I could create one based on what I wanted to accomplish that day. That is how habits work.
What we practice repeatedly eventually becomes automatic.
Somewhere along the way, I developed another habit without realizing it: Lots of work. Little rest. No play.
Rest was rarely a priority. My attention was focused on doing, working, striving, achieving, and reaching the next milestone. I carried that work ethic into almost everything: academics, career, relationships, parenting, and ministry. Whatever I did, I wanted to do it well. Excellence is a wonderful quality, but even good qualities can become unhealthy when they are not balanced with appropriate boundaries.
We were not designed to labor continuously. Our bodies and minds require periods of recovery. Rest supports our ability to think, regulate our emotions, maintain perspective, and function well.
I remember college friends telling me how much a short nap helped them get through the day.
My response?
Naps are for babies.
Others shared how naps helped them remain focused and productive.
I thought:
I can’t nap, I'm working!
Yet, whenever I underwent surgery, the doctors emphasized the same thing: rest is part of recovery. There is wisdom and truth in this advice.
Rest is not an interruption to our well-being; it is part of our well-being.
Some people struggle to rest because they are highly driven. Others are in demanding jobs, school, raising children, caring for aging parents, navigating financial pressures, or managing responsibilities that cannot be placed on hold. This is not permission to feel guilty about being tired or feeling weary. It is an invitation to consider whether we are treating exhaustion as a norm for a productive life.
Scripture shows us that rest is intentional. God established a rhythm of work and rest in the beginning. Sabbath reminds us that human beings were not created solely to produce, accomplish, and perform. There are times to work faithfully, and there are times to rest.
Matthew 11:28 (NLT)
Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest."
Hebrews 4:9–11 (NIV)
"There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his."
Genesis 2:2–3 (NIV)
"By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all of his work."
Isaiah 30:15 (NLT)
"This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: ‘Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength."
Rest does not come naturally for those who are striving, engulfed in busyness, or lack priority management.
Rest is not laziness.
Rest can be preparation and bring healing.
Rest can also remind us that our value is greater than our productivity.
In a culture that frequently encourages us to have more, produce more, and become more rest can feel countercultural. Our understanding of rest becomes especially important during seasons of adversity, pressure, or stress. Our natural inclination may be to push harder because stopping feels uncomfortable or impossible. However, one of the healthiest things we can do is create space to recover our strength and regain perspective.
Perhaps we should ask:
What if the more we seek is actually found in doing less?
I hope you have had an opportunity to honor the work you have accomplished, the services you perform, and be reenergized with rest for the work that remains.
Action Step
Take a few minutes this week to ask yourself:
“What kind of rest do I need to become healthier and more present?”
For a practical resource, consider learning about physician and researcher Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith's seven types of rest and exploring her Rest Quiz this week.
Don’t just schedule your work, schedule your rest too!
Rest does not diminish the value of your work.
When we embrace the rhythm God designed for both labor and rest, we create space to recover our strength, renew our perspective, and become more present for the people and responsibilities entrusted to us. Rest is not a retreat from purpose. Sometimes, it is how God prepares us to continue walking in it.
Take a moment to reflect:
What kind of rest do you need in this season to become healthier, more present, and better prepared for what God has entrusted to you?
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Identity first. Integrity always. Lead intentionally.
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