February 8 The Rest Will Wait But Why?

There is much to get done. It can be easy to forget about a Sabbath day of rest when you are a business owner. Many businesses are open on Sunday, and they must be staffed. Sales will occur and closing for a day might be the difference between profit and loss.

Staff will show up and sometimes staff will be sick and need to be replaced. So, where is the Sabbath or the rest? The mission can be selling and service, just like the wash and rinse cycle on a washing machine, again and again it happens all for the benefit of a profit.

But we can choose to focus on the result, value, profit and rest. As leaders, the challenge can be to put the most important piece of our week in first. Will we put a Sabbath spot of rest in our weekly calendar and then keep it? I think that our team and employees want rest and rejuvenation.

If they do not spend some time recharging their batteries their productivity will collapse. You might have heard that some people are lacking in work ethic and that it is hard to find quality workers.

That might be true, but it might be true that it is also difficult to find leaders and owners who have a strong leadership ethic. A leadership principle is that as the leader gets better, everyone gets better. So, if a team is not getting better, the work might need to start with the leader.

If our leaders are not as sharp as they once were, let us consider looking to the recharge habits being used or the concept of Sabbath. We cannot make others honor the intent of a Sabbath as it is their time away from work.

We can as leaders though schedule them for the team and for ourselves. When was the last time you had a true 24 hours without thinking about your business?

In Matthew, we read about the meal where the woman takes the expensive oil and pours it on Jesus’ head. Some complained that it could have been sold and the money given to the poor. They were complaining that the resources were not maximized for the kingdom.

While true, Jesus submits to them that he is only here with them for a little while. Let us not be obsessed with the result or profit so much that we place it as priority over being with Christ on our Sabbath. Let us place the Sabbath on our agenda, on our calendar first. Good idea?

If so, how about putting it in practice? Thanks to businesses like Hobby Lobby and others for showing us that it can be done. Not only can it be done, but it can be done profitably.

If a business can set up a Sabbath for its team and even its customers, then what is keeping you from taking a Sabbath? What is the first thing you can do about it in the next seven days?

Let us pray, Heavenly Father, today we can take the opportunity to make you our first priority. Help us to connect with you, to honor you with our time and our worship. May we be part of an organization that makes room for all to take a Sabbath.

Guide us to build a schedule that provides us rest and connection with you. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen,