How long can you draw from an empty bank account

Even if the things you’re busy doing are for God, is that enough reason to disobey Him?

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. (Galatians 6:7-8)

I would rest if I had time.

I would take a day off if I didn’t have so much to get done.

Taking a break is for people who have fewer responsibilities than I do.

Any of those resonate with you? I’m pretty sure I’ve said all three at some point in my life, because I’m busy, y’all. I’ve always been busy. I suspect I’ll continue to be busy as long as the Lord has me here.

But is busyness enough reason to refuse a Sabbath Day? Even if the things you’re busy doing are for God, is that enough reason to disobey Him?

It’s a hard question, and it’s one I’ve had to wrestle with all my life. I had to come to the personal decision that I wanted to obey God more than I wanted to sacrifice to Him (1 Samuel 15:22-23).

The hardest part of taking a Sabbath Day is the intentionality behind it. You have to make it happen, because it won’t happen by itself.

Think about it like a bank account. Have you noticed that money doesn’t accumulate on its own? You have to make deposits. You have to save up. You work, you get paid, you put it in the bank, and that’s how you build a balance. Spending money, however, is effortless.

Your energy level is the same way. If you consistently make withdrawals on your energy balance without intentionally making energy deposits (through Sabbath Days of rest and refreshment), you’ll shut down. Emotional and mental bankruptcy is still bankruptcy.

Every week you have a choice to take a day of rest or to keep working. That’s entirely up to you, but you have to remember that actions always have consequences. You can only draw from an empty bank account for so long.

God wants obedience. He wants your heart to yield to what He’s asked you to do. So obey. Take a day off. Trust Him to provide a solution. He’ll be far more impressed with your faith than your self-sacrificing exhaustion.

Questions for Reflection

• Where do we get the idea that God wants us to completely exhaust ourselves in His name?

• How do our priorities get so far away from what God wants?

• What is the hardest part of being intentional?

Weekly Memory Verse