Labor Day. For many Americans, it is summer’s last hurrah. There are cookouts and campouts, pool parties and beach retreats, baseball games and backyard corn hole. Labor Day is a chance to bask in the sun and be free from the worries of work for a bit–that is, of course, if you have the day off. But Labor Day didn’t begin as a paid vacation day. In fact, it started because there were no paid vacation days…or…for that matter…vacation days in general.

As the Industrial Revolution exploded across the country, more and more was demanded from the workers who kept the great machine of industry and profit thrumming. Most factory workers were paid a scant wage for their work, which was often grueling and dangerous. Conditions in factories were abysmal–poor lighting, little ventilation, lots of dirt and soot, overcrowded–and most workers put in at least 12 hours each day, seven days a week, with no breaks or time off. By the late 1800s, conditions for workers had become untenable, especially when faced with the fact that corporate bosses were making huge profits and wanting for nothing while the workers themselves barely eked out a living. Things came to a head on September 5, 1882. On that day, about 10,000 workers from across New York City walked off the job and staged a demonstration demanding fewer hours and better pay.

Eleven years later, Congress honored this act by declaring the first Monday in September to be a national holiday–Labor Day. Of course, this was not the end of the fight for workers’ rights. Where there is money to be made, there will always be inequity, and many American laborers still struggle with long hours, low pay, and inadequate benefits.

Like most things in society, our practices of work and the treatment of workers is not really what God had in mind for his people. While hard work is a major tenant of Scripture, both in the New and Old Testaments, so is rest. From the very beginning, God modeled how we are to approach the work-life balance–God created, then celebrated his creation. God created, then celebrated his creation. God created, then celebrated his creation. This happened three more times. And then, he took an entire day (whatever that equaled) to fully rest from the work of creating new things.

As the people of Israel become a nation, God instructed them to follow his example. But his instructions went beyond a Sabbath each week. He also mandated times of rest during major festivals, like in this passage from Leviticus.

The people of Israel were to take off work in order to celebrate and worship. And the beautiful part of this call is that God extended it to everyone living with the Israelites–regardless of where they had come from or what their social status was. Everyone was to rest. Everyone was to celebrate. Everyone was to worship.

As Christians, we need to do a better job of modeling God’s desire for a true balance between work and rest. I can’t tell you what that looks like in your life, but for me, it’s allowing myself time to just be and breathe and practice holy stillness. It’s taking that extra 15 minutes or so in the morning to sit and converse with God before diving into the work of the day. It’s remembering to stop and give thanks as the day winds down for all of the blessings God has extended to me this day. It’s making time to pause from the tasks on the list to be fully present and really interact with the people I love. Work. Rest. Celebrate. Worship. These are the rhythms around which I want to order my days.

What rhythms of work and rest do you need in your life? And how might we advocate so that others can find those rhythms, too?

Blessings and Peace,

Sara