Week 8 | Monday

Read: Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG)

We live in an always-on culture. Work/life balance used to be built into a nine-to-five, Monday through Friday workweek. There were, of course, a few types of jobs that didn’t fit that mold. Still, the world slowed down dramatically once every seven days. Places opened later and closed earlier on Sundays. Extracurricular activities took place Monday through Friday and only occasionally on Saturday. Sunday was “sacred,” whether you went to church or not. In other words, life had a built-in “off” switch.

Over the past several decades, technology has consistently advanced our productivity. Early on, the most exciting idea was to do the same work in less time, freeing more space for that off switch. Thanks to technology, it was said, people could work three to four eight-hour shifts per week and cap it off with a three-day weekend…every weekend! Families would engage in more recreation, more rest, and more time together.

That’s not the way it worked out. Instead, we have used technological advancements to fit more work into the same 40 hours. Instead of computers being a luxury for the wealthy, children carry them around in their pockets. Phones aren’t used for calls; they are powerhouses of information, activity, and virtual connection. Parents work more, take fewer vacations, and find it challenging to leave work at the office.

That has made its way into our personal lives, as well. Though Sundays no longer look much different than Saturdays, the advent of online shopping and on-demand entertainment has opened the door to self-directed, never-stopping lives.

We celebrate being busy, too. Ask anyone, “How are you doing?” What do they typically say? “Busy.” We wear it like a badge of honor. We like to feel needed and important and being busy makes us feel that way. 

That all adds up to imbalance and poor health. Yes, physically, but mentally, too. God didn’t build us to go, go, go. He built us to hit the off switch, rest, recharge, and restart. Remember this and put it into practice so you can be at your best for Him. 

How are you at hitting the off switch? Whether you are doing well or not, reflect on why you think that is.