Twenty years ago you could ask people how they were doing and they'd say, "I'm doing great." Or at the very least they would say, "Fine." Today, the answer to that question is almost instinctively and uniformly, "I'm busy!"

God, though, tells us that leisure is essential to getting the most out of life; it's a must if we want to discover true joy and fulfillment. It's not optional. It's foundational. If you ever hope to have a fulfilled and "happy" life, you must incorporate leisure into your life.

The word leisure comes from a Latin phrase that means "to be permitted." That's just what you and I need to do. We need to permit ourselves to take some leisure. It's time to give ourselves permission to relax. All too often, though, we are afraid to take any time off because we have this belief that we are indispensable. But as Charles de Gaulle once said, "The graveyards are full of indispensable men."

God Commands Leisure

God knew when He created us that we would have this tendency to work and work and work without taking regular time off. But because He loves you and me and because He wants what is best for us, He has given us the gift of leisure.

If you are a parent, you understand the desire to give your best to your children. But sometimes your children need guidance and direction. After all, if it was up to them, the rules would be different. If it were up to my kids, they'd stay up and play all night long. They'd run around outside, play on the computer, and chase each other around with the soccer ball in the house. And they'd have a blast; at least until the alarm went off for school the next morning.

As a parent, I know better. I know that kids need sleep to learn. And I also know that tired and crabby kids aren't exactly a treat to have around the house! So what do parents do? We give them specific instructions in order for them to get the most out of life.

That is exactly what God has done for us. He loves us so much that not only has he given us this gift of leisure, but he has also commanded us to use it.

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but lie rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Exodus 20:8-11)

The word Sabbath means that we are to stop, to cease, to knock off the work. After we read this fourth commandment, we should step back in wonder and say, "What an amazing God we have. He's given us fiftytwo mini-vacations a year!"