I Need to Rest

This was the first devotion I wrote and published on November 3, 2012

Ecclesiastes 2:22-25 “What has a man (or woman) from all the toil and striving of heart with which he (she) toils beneath the sun? For all his (her) days are full of sorrow, and his (her) work is a vexation. Even in the night his (her) heart does not rest. This also is vanity. There is nothing better for a person than that he (she) should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his (her) toil. This also, I say, is from the hand of God, for apart from Him who can eat and have enjoyment? (ESV – italics added by me.)

Think about it for just a moment, which part of these verses describes you? Are you the woman who is vexed by your work, whatever that may be for you, and don’t get rest at night? Or are you the one who finds enjoyment in what you do and you rest at night?

If you are the second then that is great! I am happy that you have found that joy in your work. If you are the second, and at this time in my life I am as well, then we need to find that enjoyment and rest in Him, because if we don’t it is vanity.

I never thought that not finding joy in my work would be considered vanity. For definitions seek vanity means, “excessive pride in one's appearance, qualities, abilities, achievements, etc.; character or quality of being vain; conceit". Or think about it this way, “lack of real value; hollowness; worthlessness” (according to Dictionary.com)

Honestly one definition is just as bad as the other. I either am vexed with my work because I take pride in it and it’s all about me. And obviously there is something going wrong for me to be vexed by it. Or it is really sad to think of the second definition. That means that what I work at has no real value. Ouch!

Regardless, of which definition is true, the answer is the same for both. The answer is to rest in God. If I rest in Him I can eat and drink, unfortunately it doesn’t mean I can eat and drink all I want without gaining weight, and find enjoyment in my work. So what does it mean to rest in Him?

Resting in Him means to trust Him no matter what the circumstance, in this case the circumstance of my work. It means turning it over to Him and knowing that even if the bottom seems to fall out from under me, He has it all in His hands. Things will still go wrong, people will still do things that make you wonder or even get angry, and paperwork or busywork will still be apart of your work, but you will find enjoyment in Him.

Personally, I have been very vexed by my work of late, but within the last few days I have given it to Him, and I have been able to find more enjoyment in my work. The circumstances have not changed, not all, but I know He is with me and because of that I sleep better at night and find more reasons to smile and enjoy my work.